BIONICLE - Phase 01: Advent - Part III: Infectious Malice
by MakutaMutran
Summary: With their new Kanohi powers, the Toa become more powerful in their preparation to challenge Makuta. Meanwhile Takua continues his deeds in the village Koro, occasionally meeting the warriors and uncovering how his destiny may yet be intertwined with theirs. As the Toa finish their quest and Takua strengthens the villages, the fight with Makuta for the island draws ever closer.
1. Chapter 1

**Beginning Editor's Note: I do not claim to own the Bionicle characters or the majority of these plot points. The material here is simply an edited and compiled version of original Bionicle material. Between books, comics, games, animations, instruction booklets, etc. it is hard to get the full story. Here, comics and video games etc. have been transcribed in novel form and fully integrated into one chronological read. The poetic liberties of novelization and editing are all I can claim. **

**Please follow/favorite/PM in order to let me know if you think this project is worth continuing, or use the forum I made to discuss any questions and feedback on this project. I already have the vast majority of Bionicle lore done and streamlined, but am starting with just a few parts to see how the initial reception goes. **

**These five parts constitute material from the very beginning in 2000 all the way through the end of 2002, constituting what I've called "Phase 01: Advent." **

**Thank you, and please continue to enjoy the wonderful and vast story of Bionicle... **

* * *

_Sequel to "Bionicle - Phase 01: Advent - Part II: The Coming of the Toa"_

Po-Wahi expectedly turned out to be a dry, arid land of sand and stone, as Takua learned on arrival. At first, he thought there would be no one at the dock to greet him, but as he looked around, he noticed a solitary merchant and his wares.

"Hello," Takua called as he approached.

"Eh? What's that?" he asked. "Sorry. Don't get too many travelers around Po-Wahi these days. What can I do for you? Need a boat? Information? Or a souvenir, maybe?"

Hoping to get some tips about the local culture, Takua inquired, "Tell me about Po-Wahi."

The merchant leaned on the shelf of his shop. "Po-Wahi is…well, there's not much to it, really, mostly sand…lots of sand. But there are canyons, which are real pretty to look at, if the sun or the Rahi don't get you first…and the Path of Prophecies, which the ancient carvers made. Po-Koro's a decent place, too. Oh, and don't miss the games! Most everyone around Mata Nui turns up to see a Koli match, when they're on. Haven't been too many visitors lately, though."

"That's helpful, thank you," Takua said, shaking his hand. He turned to leave the shop and followed the stone path laid before him.

"Stay outta the sun!" the merchant called out to him as he left.

Takua soon came to a fork in the road with a sign covered in more of the writing he had seen in Ga-Koro. _These symbols are becoming more familiar to me, _he realized. _Is my memory returning? _Whether it be yes or no, he chose the path to the left, hoping that it would take him to Po-Koro.

The path was long and monotonous, but eventually he came to another fork in the road. A stone carver was there, hard at work. As Takua admired his work, he spoke to him. "Hot enough for ya?" he asked. "Another Hafu original…" he said as he gestured toward his work. "Wow…sometimes I impress myself! Can you guess what it is yet?"

Takua, hardly an expert in stone carving, shook his head. "No."

Hafu seemed to sense that Takua was not here for idle chit-chat. "If you're looking for Po-Koro, traveler, take the right road. The one on _your _right."

"Alright, thank you," Takua said. "Good luck finishing your carving." Takua took the path to the right…_his _right. And soon, he saw Po-Koro. A marvelous stone gate stood before him. The path was overlooked by six magnificent, enormous stone faces. He wondered if these were also the work of Hafu. He walked through the gate and into the middle of a thriving marketplace. The sounds of animals and bartering filled the air. He walked toward another merchant.

"Hello, stranger!" the merchant said. "Are you looking for a good Koli ball? Let me recommend the Comet, our most popular model."

"What's a Koli ball?" Takua asked.

"Why, Koli balls are for playing Koli, of course," he replied. "Most are made from lightweight airstone bound in steel. You'd want a Comet—our top-of-the-line sport model. It's trading for two Husi Pecking Birds, or the equivalent."

Takua asked, "Where do you get your Koli balls?"

The merchant gave a sly smile. "Well, now, that's privileged information, my friend. Let's just say I have a secret source…"

"How do I buy a Koli ball?" Takua wondered.

"We trade here, like in the rest of the bazaar," he answered. "If you've got something worth trading, I'll give you a Koli ball for it!"

"Well, I don't have anything worth trading for one, and I don't know what I would use it for yet," Takua admitted. "So I might see later."

"Come back anytime…our Comet balls are the best in Mata Nui," the merchant returned, once again advertising the product. "Everyone wants one! Don't be the only Matoran in Po-Koro without a Comet!"

As Takua was leaving, he saw a hut with an open door off to the side. The sounds of stone being carved came from inside the hut. Curious, he stepped inside to find a slightly taller figure, who noticed his entrance.

"Hail, Takua!" he greeted. "You have come at an unhappy time in Po-Koro, I fear. I am about to announce to my people the news that the next Koli match will have to be cancelled. I do not think even great Pohatu could play Koli at a time like this."

"I'm sorry—I lost my memory a short while ago. I can see you're the Turaga, but what is your name?" Takua asked.

"Ah, then it is a shame you would not remember all you did here. I am Onewa, Turaga of the village of Po-Koro," he replied. "The Matoran here are master carvers, and their work is the envy of all Mata Nui. But today I am not carving works of art. Instead, I am fashioning beds."

Takua was beginning to feel more and more handicapped with his amnesia the more references there were to the 'help' he had supposedly provided. "I'm sorry, I can't remember much of anything. What's happened in your village?"

Onewa's shoulders slumped. "I am struggling to bring comfort to the sick people of this village, but it is a fleeting solace. We know nothing of this illness, how long it might last, or where it comes from. Left unattended, I fear the Madness…" He didn't finish his sentence.

"Why are you cancelling the Koli match?" Takua asked.

The stone Turaga looked back at him. "A dark plague has corrupted my people and my village. Though many still stay at their work, visit the bazaar, and play Koli, they have blinded themselves to the truth, and put strength and duty before fear."

"What do you mean?"

"Huki, our greatest Koli champion, was one of the first to fall ill," the Turaga replied. "He has become weakened, and cannot move from his bed. I fear that soon we will see in him the beginnings of the Madness, the same diabolical force that grips the wild Rahi when their masks become infected."

_If Huki is their greatest Koli champion, I wonder who then is Pohatu? _Takua wondered. "You made it sound as though Pohatu were your Koli champion," he said. "If Huki is instead, who is Pohatu?"

"Pohatu is the Toa of the Po-Matoran," Onewa told him. "His great strength can fell mountains, and the Kanohi Kakama gives him speed greater than any creature on Mata Nui. The irony is that Pohatu's strength and speed cannot help us. An enemy that can neither be seen, nor felt, plagues us. Vakama, of Ta-Koro, has sent some of his Guard to assist us, but they will not enter the village for fear of falling prey to this disease. Instead, they are combing the hills in search of Pohatu, who is on a grave quest for the Masks of Power. But without knowing even where this illness comes from, there is little anyone can do…even the great Pohatu."

Takua nodded. "I see…"

"I am distracted by many of Po-Koro's problems, Takua," Onewa said, "and I can give you little of my time. Can you give me some clue about how to cure this illness?"

Takua shook his head. "No, Turaga. I'm sorry but I know very little about illnesses or their medicinal counterparts. I will leave you to study and prepare, then. Goodbye."

"I wish you the speed of Pohatu, friend," Onewa said as he departed. Then he returned to his sorrowful task of carving beds for the ill.

X X X

Interested in investigating this new issue, Takua walked down to look at the Koli field. There, he met someone playing with a Koli ball, who greeted him with a vigorous "Hup! Hup! Hup!" He paused his playing for a moment. "Are you here for a Koli match?" he asked. "I sure could use some more teammates to play with. All the others have gone home; they're not feeling well. Not even Huki can play anymore. And I just got a Comet! Traded two Husi for it."

"Well, first, tell me about Koli," Takua said. "My name's Takua—I'm…new in town."

"My name is Bour. You want to know about Koli?" he repeated incredulously. "You really must not be from around here! Koli is the greatest sport on the island. It's incredibly simple, but takes much more skill than the sports they play in other villages! Koli is played on a Koli field. You're standing on the biggest one in Po-Wahi, but they don't have to be as fancy as this. All you need is a goal for each team and one or two people to make up a team. Each of the goals has a one- or two-Matoran team to guard it. To win, you have to kick Koli balls—like this one—into any of the other three goals, while at the same time stopping other players from getting their balls into yours!"

Takua pointed to Bour's new Koli ball. "What's so special about your Comet? Why does everybody like them?"

"A Comet is the best kind of Koli ball you can get. They're light, fly straight, and play much better than the older models," Bour replied. "Everyone is getting one of these now. They're perfectly balanced, so it's very hard to miss, and when you kick them, they fly as fast as a comet! They only started trading them recently at the bazaar. I don't know where they get them, but whoever carved them is truly a master."

Eager to learn more, Takua continued the conversation. "Tell me about Huki. Turaga Onewa said he was the first to fall ill."

"Why, Huki's only the greatest Koli player, _ever_. At least…he was. The Turaga was right, he fell ill a little while ago, and I haven't seen him around much. He lives just on the other side of the Koli field." The Matoran pointed in the indicated direction.

Takua still had to inform Huki that Maku was safe after the Ga-Koro Tarakava attack. In hopes that the news about his friend might make Huki feel better, at least mentally, he decided to go there next. "Well, thanks for your time, Bour. I don't think I can join with you for Koli, but I wish you the best of luck!"

Takua turned to leave, but before he was out of hearing distance, he could hear the Po-Matoran several bios behind him: "Hup! Hup! *_cough_*" His exercises were intermittently laced with coughs and hacks.

_Is he coming down with this mysterious illness, too? _Takua wondered. _How? Where is it coming from? _He shuddered. _Will I get sick!? _Arriving where Bour had directed him, he saw what had to be Huki's hut as he left the Koli field. There was even an 'X' marked on it so all could know the inhabitant within was sick. As he moved toward the hut, he passed a lone spectator in the stands, still hopeful that the Koli match would go on.

Takua entered the hut and found Huki within. Although he was very ill, he still managed to shout with great force: "Stay away from me!" And then he continued, much weaker, "I just want to be left alone."

Takua reasoned it wise to double check the presumed identity of the homeowner. "I'm sorry you're not feeling well. Are you Huki?"

"I am…Huki…" he replied. The words came with much difficulty.

"Why are you sick?" Takua asked.

"I don't know…" he said with difficulty. "I have been here for—how many days? I'm not sure anymore…I used to know. You must go. I feel…strange. No one must come here, especially Maku. Don't tell her I am ill, it will worry her…she can't see me like this, she can't…"

"You see, she's actually why—" Takua began, but did not finish.

Unable to take any more of this conversation, Huki yelled, "Get out!"

Takua didn't fight; he could do nothing more than oblige the Po-Matoran.

X X X

Takua returned back the way he came, through the Koli field where he had met the other Po-Matoran named Bour. He traveled to the place where they had spoken, but Bour was gone. _Wait, is that…? _Takua wondered. He walked over to the object in question. Bour had left behind his Comet. Takua resolved to find him and take it to him, but as he went to pick it up, a mysterious substance oozed out from within it and coated the ball.

"Eww…" he mumbled. _That's weird. I wonder what that means? I should take this back to Onewa and have him look at it, _Takua decided. He wrapped up the Comet Koli ball, and made his way through Po-Koro back to the village elder's hut.

X X X

Blindly, Lewa reached out for a vine, but too late—it's elasticity was too great and he could only slow his fall, not stop it. His safety had become an illusion…one the jaws of the Muaka were ready to dispel. The deep commenting voice looked forward to the next few seconds. "Lewa will be the first to fall, and then—but what is this!?"

His deep red eyes saw something from an insurmountable distance away that the Muaka had not. A new pair of black claws belonging to the Toa of Earth had appeared on the scene beneath the Muaka straight out of the earth, which then promptly grabbed and pulled the creature smoothly into the soil.

"No! Rahi cannot be defeated!" the watcher protested. Nevertheless, with a loud roar of surprise, the beast slipped into the mud and disappeared.

"Lewa may have escaped, but Gali is surely doomed."

If Gali could have heard the voice, there was a good chance she would have wholeheartedly agreed. Nui-Jaga were large, and Tarakava were fast. She might have been able to take on one, perhaps even lucky enough to escape two, but four was much more doubtful.

"The creatures are closing in," she whispered under her breath, glancing every which way and carefully backing up at the same time. "Great Beings, grant me strength…"

Gali's request was granted in an unforeseeable way. A wall of fire erupted around her, its heat keeping the Rahi away and its size large enough to keep from harming her.

The watcher was shocked, too. "Who dares to defy my will?"

With a turn of her head, Gali answered that. "You—!"

Tahu cut her off. "Gali, behind you! Dodge while you can!"

As Gali performed an impressive backflip over the wall of fire, the Toa's spectator looked on with a curious surprise. "So, the Toa now work together." Gali's flip was short of being executed perfectly, though—a Tarakava punch landed dead into her back. "Then they can _fall_ together as well."

Gali's hit sent her flying, so far she landed out in the nearby body of water, where she sank, unconscious. Tahu looked on with dread for a moment, relieved to see that she had at some point changed her Kanohi Miru back to her Kanohi Kaukau, so at least she wouldn't suffocate. He started to run after her, but was blocked off by the Rahi. Triggering his Mask of Shielding and igniting his firesword, he prepared for battle.

Gali meanwhile, never realized she was underwater. She felt the blow from the Rahi and the smack of the water's surface, but after that, very strange sights greeted her. She saw what seemed to be two titans standing in front of the silhouettes of six figures, one of whom looked like her, though it wore a shiny, golden mask.

The titans turned to face her with their imposing breadth and height. "Welcome, Toa of Water," the left said. It's voice sounded like a chorus of many speaking at once. "Do not be afraid—your body is safe in the ocean's embrace. Only your mind has journeyed here to behold your future."

"What is this place?" Gali asked. "Who are you?"

The giant on the right turned. "We are what you and the other Toa shall become," it said. Its voice had the similar multiphonic quality as the first, but the overall pitch was deeper. "When each of you has found all the Great Masks of Power, then shall you be ready to join together and defeat Makuta."

The right titan drew a massive club and sword of fire, crossing the two in front of itself. "Three shall become myself, Akamai, and walk the path of the warrior."

The left titan similarly drew its weapons, a set of parallel weapons with one uniting, forked hilt, and a shield. "And three shall become myself, Wairuha, and walk the path of wisdom."

The two figures then faded from view as all color went black. However, Gali could hear one final statement, spoken by both, simultaneously. "Remember, Gali. Only by uniting will the Toa find the strength to triumph. For now, child of the waters, farewell…"

Gali's physical eyes snapped open and she bolted upright back on the beach. "Wait! I must know more!"

"Hey, it's alright Gali," Tahu comforted. He was kneeling by her and helping to prop her up. "The Rahi have fled. We are safe now."

Gali pushed herself onto her knees, eye-level with her fire brother. "Tahu? I had the strangest vision…"

"We can talk about it later," he interrupted. "Onua has called a meeting—we are to meet the others near his landing site." Tahu put away his fire sword and helped Gali to her feet. Noticing her fatigue from the fight, he carried part of her weight while they walked. "He and I met during our searches and decided it is time to meet again. I came to find you while he and Pohatu left for Lewa."

X X X

Kopaka's mind snapped back to reality, the fuzzy images of the vision fading away. He found himself on his hands and knees on the floe, still clutching at the rapidly shrinking chunk of ice. _That little accident was bad luck on top of bad judgement, _he thought bleakly as he finally faced the truth—the ice floe wasn't going to make it back to shore. That meant he had two choices: try the frozen-footstep method, or wait as long as he could and then attempt an enormous leap to solid ground.

He decided that the second plan had a more likely chance of success. But the distance to shore seemed impossibly far…. Kopaka reminded himself that he now wore the Great Mask of Strength. Perhaps it would give his legs the extra power they would need to propel him such a tremendous distance.

Gathering his strength, Kopaka got into position and then waited. One long moment, then another, then another, coolly patient as he gauged the footing beneath him. All he needed was enough to push off from— "Now!" he shouted, leaping forward with all his might. The energy of the Kanohi Pakari flowed through him, giving him extra strength.

But it wasn't enough.

_The Great Mask of Levitation would come in awfully handy right now, _he thought bleakly as he felt himself start to fall toward the bubbling lava.

"Kopaka!" a voice shouted from the direction of the shore. Kopaka glanced forward, but saw only a flash of green as he suddenly felt himself caught up in a blast of wind. He cried as he flew helplessly through the air.

With a loud crash, he landed on the volcanic soil face first. "Sorry-oops, brother," Lewa's voice said from somewhere nearby. "I didn't have thought-time to plan a softer landing."

"Ugh," Kopaka groaned. Every limb in his body ached. But he was still in one piece—and unmelted. "It's alright, brother Lewa." He added, realizing that it was Lewa's wind gust that had saved him, "I owe you one. I shall not forget this."

"Anytime, brother," Lewa said. "And at least I see you got a mask out of it."

Kopaka nodded, touching the new Kanohi on his face. He wondered if he should tell the other Toa about his vision. _What did it mean? _he wondered. _Who had sent it? Was it a foreshadowing of something important_—_or was it merely a trick sent by Makuta? _Kopaka reminded himself, _Whatever it was, it nearly got me boiled. Isn't that the best evidence of all that it must have come from Makuta? _

Disturbed by the thought, he remained silent about his vision as Lewa chattered on about finding his own Great Mask of Strength in Onu-Wahi. "Had to fight a nasty-ugly Rahi to get it, too," he said cheerfully. "But I suppose it was worth it—gave that quick-breeze I sent you some extra _oomph_."

Kopaka nodded. "These Rahi—they seem to stop at nothing to guard these masks."

"Oh, this fellow quick-stopped as soon as I knocked off its own mask," Lewa said. "It panic-fled into the depths of the tunnels ever-quick."

"Really? Hmm." Kopaka filed that away in his mind. It could be useful to him later. That reminded him—he still had masks to find. "My thanks to you again, brother Lewa," he said with a formal little bow. "Now I must take my leave and continue my search."

"Oh! I almost mind-lost why I came looking for you in the first place," Lewa cried. "I just lucky-met Onua and Pohatu down-mountain. Onua has called a meeting."

Kopaka frowned. "But I haven't found all my masks yet."

"None of us have," Lewa shrugged. "I have some Great Kanohi and some weak-handy Noble Kanohi, but not all. We're all learn-finding that this search-quest is trickier than we thought. That's why Onua wants to get together. I'm not one for group-working, but I think he may be right. We need to compare notes, do some team-planning."

Kopaka opened his mouth to protest again, but shut it before speaking a word. How much time might he have saved just now if he'd had Lewa along in the first place—or Tahu, or Onua? He sighed. As much as he hated the idea of joining in on some big, happy, crowded Toa-fest, the facts were staring him in the face. The mission would be more successful if the Toa attacked it as a team.

"Alright," Kopaka said at last. "Let's go."

X X X

Takua watched Onewa react to Bour's Comet he had retrieved from the Koli stadium. At first, he was puzzled. "What? But this is just a Koli ball…" he murmured to himself. "Hm. But not just any Koli ball; this is the special kind that is being traded at the bazaar, and which has become very popular. But it oozes a sickening substance, one as suspiciously dark as Makuta himself. Thank you, Takua, for showing this to me. You are as noble as your reputation, and as resourceful."

Onewa covered the Koli ball again with the wrapping Takua had used. "This opens my eyes to many things. If these balls are the cause of the illness, then we must take them away from the village and discard them…throw them in the sea. But they are very popular and the Po-Koro Matoran value Koli above many things. I cannot take these away from my people unless I have proof that they are the cause."

"Do you have an idea of how to go about that?" Takua asked.

"Well, this is a vital clue," Onewa said, optimistically. "I know that a merchant in the bazaar sells these balls. I would like you to find out from him where these balls come from in secret. Investigate. But take care—if he is somehow involved in this plot, then he will not want you to find out, and who knows what he might do to deter you."

Onewa sighed and turned back to the Koli ball, peeking under the wrapping. "The evil that visited Ga-Koro across the waves has come, it seems, to our ocean of sand. I fear the shadow of the Makuta has been cast across Po-Koro. I know that the source of this evil must be found or all may be lost."

The Turaga of Stone again turned to Takua. "If our guard can find the Toa, I will request to Pohatu that he seek you out, and together I hope you can do what is necessary. If the sick did not need me, I would come to assist you on your quest. If there is anything else you wish to know or bring to me, my door is always open to you."

"Thank you, Turaga," Takua answered. To add a note of humor, he went on, "I will investigate the 'bizarre bazaar' merchant and the situation surrounding the Koli balls and the sickness." He chuckled, but Onewa didn't, so he left.

Immediately leaving the elder's home, Takua made his way through the village to the bazaar, where he was invited earlier to purchase a Comet. "Ah," the merchant said. "Change your mind, have you?"

"No," Takua said, getting right to the point. "What is your name?"

The merchant looked side to side and gave a chuckle. "My name? I am Ahkmou. And you are?"

"Takua," he replied, for there was no sense in concealing himself. "I was also curious about the Comets you sell—the craftsmanship is, uh…top of the line. How do you make them? Where do you get them, or where are your supplies?"

"What? I can't tell you that," Ahkmou replied. "Trade secret. Can't have you stealing my wares or making my product, can I?"

Takua was about to ask more questions when Ahkmou turned to another customer. "What's that, good sir? Can I help you? How about a Comet?"

Waiting would have been too suspicious, and Takua didn't have any less obvious questions either, so he decided to leave this lead for now. But when he turned to leave, he noticed a strange object sitting among the Koli balls that were on the far end of the shelf. Ahkmou was busy with the customer, which was the perfect time for Takua to slip it into his bag without the suspicious merchant noticing.

X X X

Not quite certain where to go next, Takua decided to head back the way he came. Before long, he ran into Hafu, close to completion on the masterpiece sculpture from earlier. He looked up from his work, but did little more than nod a greeting, indicating that he could have a conversation if induced, but would not commence one. Takua explored off to the side of the area and made his way toward the Po-Koro Quarry.

The quarry was filled with enormous mask carvings along the outer walls, and below each mask was a small hole, meant for a key. _Hmmm, _Takua thought. _Do I hold within my backpack the key to solving this mystery? _He reached into his bag and pulled out the object he "borrowed" from Ahkmou's Comet shop. _There is only one way to find out. _Takua placed the rod-like object into each hole, one by one, until he finally found the one door it opened. It _was _a key!

Takua stepped inside the cave warily, surveying the contents. The most notable of the cave's occupants was a pile of Comet Koli balls. Takua approached them cautiously, examining them. His results found that they were all infected like the one he had given to Onewa. _Excellent! _he thought. _Now I just have to report to the Turaga. _

A shrill sound accompanied by loud scuttling announced that the Matoran was not alone in the cave. Whirling to face the deeper area of the cave that the sound had rang from, Takua saw a large, blue, scorpion-like Rahi beast moving toward him.

Just then, a tall brown-armored stranger appeared in the cave with Takua. The stranger stepped forward and flung his arm between the Rahi and the Matoran, bodily protecting him. Before Takua could even pose a question or statement of gratitude, the scorpion waved one of its legs, aiming to hit the figure square in the head.

The stranger moved with astonishing speed, though, ducking beneath the swipe and then jumping behind a boulder in the cave. With an immensely strong leg, the warrior kicked the boulder, sending it flying toward the scorpion. "Matoran, roll more rocks this way!" he called. "I will keep the Nui-Jaga at bay, and try to destroy the nest!"

Takua looked around and did just that, gathering rocks for this athlete to send toward the creature and deeper in the cave, where its home must've been. The Nui-Jaga scorpion had knocked away the first, as well as most consecutive, shots from the figure, using its six legs and giant stinger.

The figure instead began ricocheting the boulders off walls or shooting them over the Rahi in order to hit the green, meshy supports constituting the Jaga nest. The boulders easily tore through the woven material due to the large mass of the object at such high speed from the kicker's legs. After the last strands of support for the nest were broken, the Nui-Jaga quickly made a retreat…just as the ceiling threatened to collapse upon Takua and his ally—the boulders' damage to the walls and removing the supports from the nest had caused the whole cave to collapse!

"Quick! Let's get out of here!" the stranger yelled over the rumbling sound of crumbling and falling rocks. They both turned to flee back to the cave's mouth. Takua ran as fast as he could, but could sense that he wasn't going to make it. Then, he was hauled off his feet by the tall friend and rushed out as the cave collapsed, trapping the Nui-Jaga and destroying the stash of infected Comet Koli balls. With a final exhale of dust, the cave opening lay still.

"Excellent, my new friend!" the stranger exclaimed. "We make a good team!"

"Thank you for saving me," Takua said, straightening his mask. Looking up at the figure more than twice his height, bearing the same strength as Toa Gali, he knew that this must be the Toa of Stone. "What is your name?"

"I am Toa Pohatu," the tall, lean figure confirmed. "I am the Toa of Stone and protector of Po-Koro. What were you doing there?"

"Turaga Onewa directed me to investigate the Po-Koro Epidemic," Takua answered. "My clues led me there."

"This was an evil plan, indeed," Pohatu said. "Onewa was right to call upon me. I saw it as we were escaping—that was an infected Kanohi Mask set beside the Koli balls. Someone was deliberately poisoning those balls and giving them to Matoran, knowing full well that they would become sick, and later infected…but who left it there, and placed the balls beside it?"

Takua thought, and then answered, "Ahkmou had held the key to that particular storage cave in the quarry, meaning those were his supply. Either he himself is behind it, or someone else is using his wares to harm the Po-Matoran."

"Either way, Ahkmou is a prime suspect that will need to be watched and pursued further," reasoned Pohatu. "Though Po-Koro will be safe now, we have uncovered an even greater mystery. I fear the Makuta's influence may extend beyond the Rahi…now, even Matoran are at risk of falling under his influence. I'll take this news back to Po-Koro, and help them carry the infected Koli balls into the sea. My Mask of Power, the Kanohi Kakama will let me to get to the village quick enough, I think, to save even Huki, the one who has had the Epidemic the longest."

"I, too, am returning to Po-Koro," Takua said. "I would like to travel with you to the Turaga's dwelling. Can I come?"

"Of course!" Pohatu answered with a smile. "Hold on tight!" He lifted Takua onto his shoulders, holding onto the Matoran's lower legs. With a whoosh of energy activating, Pohatu's mask leapt into action, carrying the Toa of Stone across the desert sands at incredible speed.


	2. Chapter 2

The journey to the quarry on the outskirts had taken Takua little time—it was practically instantaneous for the Toa to make the return. Pohatu stopped at the door to the Stone Turaga's house, where Takua descended and the two entered. Takua respectfully stayed quiet as the Toa related the story of the cave, the Koli balls, the infected Kanohi, and the Nui-Jaga nest.

"Hail, heroes!" cried Onewa. "We can begin to rid our village of this plague. Toa Pohatu, take several strong-bodied Matoran with you to throw these infected Koli balls into the sea!"

"It will be done, Turaga," the Toa said with a bow. He turned to Takua, putting a hand on the Matoran's shoulder. "You are a cunning ally, friend, and brave. I hope that we shall meet again, someday." Then he left to carry out Onewa's wishes.

Onewa spoke again, "Once the Koli balls are in the sea, they will bother us no more. I have already seen that time away from the Comets is enough to bring wellness again. The Matoran of my village should recover from their illnesses. Yet, I'm not certain what became of the merchant who sold those Koli balls, however. He disappeared before you and Pohatu returned. Po-Koro will long honor your deeds. Nokama was right when she said you would be witness to many important things transpiring throughout our land. She asked me to watch you, and tell her if I also feel this, which I do."

Takua smiled. "Thank you, wise one. I was happy to be of help."

"I know now that you are the one her astrologer spoke of," Onewa continued. "Take this Carving Tool, which is the proud symbol of our greatest carvers. Show it to Nokama and she will give you the Book of Chronicles. I trust your travels go well. I wish you the speed of Pohatu, Takua."

Takua took the offered tool, stowing it in his pack. "Thank you. Farewell."

Before he could return to Ga-Koro, though, Takua still had to accomplish the initial reason for coming to the village of stone. He returned to Huki's hut to check on his progress and give him Maku's message of safety. On his way to the home, he saw that the Koli field was now full of Koli practitioners, and fans were crowded round, shouting cheers of support.

At Huki's hut, Huki was up and about, seemingly bursting with energy. "Hello, again, I recognize you from before," he said. "I'm sorry for my behavior, I was not well. I can't play Koli again, just yet, but I already feel much better. What is your name?"

"I'm Takua," was the answer, "and I came to Po-Koro actually to deliver a message to you about the latest Ga-Koro attack. A Tarakava hit the village."

Huki's expression changed from mildly calm to worried in a flash. "Oh, no…I remember. Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, they are," Takua reassured him. "Specifically, your friend Maku wanted me to tell you that she is safe and sound."

Huki visibly relaxed after hearing that. "Oh…well, that's a relief. Thank you, I'm glad to hear it. I think I'll go there now, to update her on my condition."

Takua smiled. "I'm actually on my way back to Ga-Koro now—I have new business with Turaga Nokama. We can go together."

"Thanks," said Huki. "I'll soon be fit enough to return to Koli, but I think she would like to see me." The Po-Matoran cleared his throat loudly, "Ahem! And we have a bamboo disk tournament coming up, and I'd like to walk to the practice with her."

The two Matoran then exited Huki's home to begin their journey back to Ga-Koro.

X X X

When they arrived in the water village, Huki separated to leave for Maku's hut—he already knew where it was. Takua meanwhile said he would meet them later, after talking with Nokama.

"Hello again," the water elder greeted him upon his entrance.

"Hello, Turaga Nokama," he answered. "I was able to help Onewa and the Po-Matoran. The Makuta's influence spread to their Koli balls, but with Toa Pohatu, we rid the village of the spreading Epidemic and their infection, which Onewa called the Madness." He pulled out the Po-Koro chisel to show her. "Turaga Onewa told me to return to you to show you I've found favor with him."

"Well done," she replied to the sight. "Onewa and I have been looking for one such as you. You have earned this role. Take this book, and attend to it, travelling to the villages. Keep a record—a chronicle. If the Toa fail, and Mata Nui is destroyed…this, at least, will remain. The ocean will keep it safe for us."

Takua took the unique book offered by the water Turaga. "Thank you, Nokama," he said. "I'm honored." Their business done, he left her.

As Takua crossed the threshold of the elder's home, she called after him, "Good luck, Chronicler."

_Chronicler, _he thought with a smile. _I now have some identity and purpose to cling to at last._

Takua made his way through the water village, back to Maku's house. There, he just caught the tail end of Huki's stories of Po-Koro. The Matoran described Takua's search for Huki, the Epidemic, the investigation, the cave in the quarry, and finally, Huki's recovery. "I'm doing well, and should soon be ready to compete in Koli again," Huki finished.

Maku, sitting in a chair in her home, put down her cup of water. "Thank you, Takua. I owe you. What's your plan now?"

"I don't know," Takua admitted. "Nokama wants me to keep records of the Matoran. I think that'll be easiest to do if I travel throughout the villages—I want to set an example as a good Chronicler. I'll go exploring and helping, if need be, but I don't know where to go."

Maku stood up and put her water away. "Well, you've been to Ga-Wahi and Po-Wahi, why not travel to Onu-Wahi? It's the earth region just west of the deserts of Po-Wahi. You could navigate the tunnel paths to find the village of Onu-Koro?"

Takua thought about that. "That's not a bad idea. I think I will do that. Supposedly, I've been all over the island before, I just don't remember it from the accident that called the Toa here. It'll be good to get reacquainted with the Onu-Matoran."

"Glad to help," the Ga-Matoran returned. "Now then, Huki, we have a practice to go to, right?" She turned back to Takua. "We're meeting with villagers from all over Mata Nui."

"Sounds like what I'm doing," Takua jibed.

"Similar, but not quite as important," Maku supported. "It's just for a tournament."

"Well have fun, and take care, you two," Takua offered. "The Toa may be here, but so are the Rahi." With that, the Ta-Matoran left his two friends. That course of action brought Takua back to his boat at the dock, followed by a ride around the northern tip of the island along the Po-Wahi coast. There, he followed paths west, until the desert ground became more diversely elevated, turning into caves above ground and tunnels below.

X X X

Lewa leaned against a tree, with the Le-Matoran named Kongu sitting on a branch next to him. In front of them, Kopaka, too, sat on the ground. Near him was Nuju's translator, Matoro. Around the four of them were Jala, Maku, Huki, and Onepu. The two Toa had encountered the group of Matoran on their way to rendezvous with the other Toa on account of Onua's meeting. But after Lewa's swimming and Kopaka's trek in Ta-Wahi, both were exhausted. They had decided that, even on Mata Nui, there were moments of peace when the villagers could learn from them.

As Kopaka finished his tale about finding a Noble Kanohi Huna, a weaker Mask of Concealment, Matoro had a thought. "Kopaka, will you and the other Toa be coming to our disk throwing championship today? You don't have to, of course, I just thought it would be nice…"

Kopaka got up. "Toa do not have time for _games_, Matoro. We—"

"—would be happy-glad to come!" Lewa interjected, giving the Ko-Matoran a thumbs-up. That put a smile on the Matoran's downcast face. "It's good-well to be reminded of why we're here-present." Kongu jumped down from the branch next to Lewa, since it seemed like the warrior was also getting ready to leave. "But isn't it now-time you and the others headed for the field to play-practice? Ice-brother and I need to get back to search-hunting."

Respectfully, the six Matoran present left the heroes; eventually, the quiet moments had to end. No one blamed the Toa for leaving and continuing their work—they were, after all, here after much waiting and were going to make life better for the population. Meanwhile, the villagers—their work done for the day—made time for sport.

"I _love _the championship tournament. It's the one time we can all get together!" Maku said, among her friends. She was relieved and happy to be with Huki again after hearing he was ill. He was still recovering, but she felt better being around him. She was sure he was having similar feelings when he heard of the Tarakava that had attacked Ga-Koro.

"You're right, Maku," Onepu agreed. "I'm so busy digging new tunnels in Onu-Koro these days…and the rest of you have duties in your own villages that you'd like to get away from, I'm sure. In fact, we're lucky we're able to get together like this at all, the way things have been."

"Quiet down," Jala, at the head of the group, suddenly said. "We have a long, dangerous walk ahead to the field."

"Sorry, Jala, you're right," Matoro apologized on behalf of the group, despite remaining fairly quiet himself.

"Maku, swim ahead and make sure the way is clear," the Ta-Matoran instructed. "Huki, you bring up the rear."

"Me?" the Po-Matoran asked. "But I wanted to practice my throws. I need to get back in my zone after the Epidemic. It's making me miss a lot more! Koli is what I'm good at."

"If we scare-run into a Rahi, you'll have more to worry-fear about than how well you look-throw," Kongu said.

Being the fastest swimmer of all the villagers, Maku made an excellent scout…if not always a happy one. _I know Jala leads the Guard in Ta-Koro, _she thought to herself, _but he doesn't need to treat us like we're pawns. We're all just as smart and strong as— _Maku's head broke the water's surface when she saw a Rahi above the water. A large scorpion was right on the bank. _Oh no! I've got to warn the others! _she thought, doubling back to report.

There is an old Mata Nui saying: 'Even storm clouds run from a Rahi.' Maku wasted no time in getting back to her friends to warn them of the Makuta's threat. "Jala! Everyone! There's a Nui-Jaga up ahead—coming this way!"

"Shall I run back and get the Toa?" Matoro asked.

Jala stopped him from leaving. "No, the Toa have the whole island to worry about. We'll handle this ourselves."

"But how?" Matoro asked, obviously concerned. "The Nui-Jaga is much bigger and stronger than any of us!"

"Size and strength aren't everything, Matoro," Onepu said.

"I think…I have an idea," Kongu said, stepping forward. With that, the Le-Matoran gathered vines from the treetops and put the others to work weaving a great net. Meanwhile, Huki broke down boulders into smaller stones. "We'll move-haul the net up high-fly and suspend it from a branch-tree with a vine," Kongu explained. "When the Nui-Jaga comes close, one of us throws a disk, slash-cuts the vine, and _wham!_ Down-fall it comes! Who wants to make the move-throw?"

"Huki will," Jala volunteered.

Huki looked at him, rubbing his mask. "What? Jala, what if I miss!?"

"Lewa, the Toa of Air, wouldn't miss…so neither will you—I'm sure of it," Jala replied.

Just in time, the net was finished and hauled into place, for the monstrous Nui-Jaga arrived at their jungle clearing. "He's coming!" Jala alerted the others. "Throw your disk, Huki!"

"Please…please let me make this one shot!" Huki muttered to himself. Then he hurled his disk…right on target. The flying bamboo object severed through the hanging vine trap. "Yes! Got him!"

"You did it, Huki!" Kongu cheered.

"Careful," Maku interjected, bringing the air back to a serious tone. "The net won't hold him for long!"

"Long enough," Matoro said, "if we work together! Everyone grab hands and concentrate. Focus on our Unity!" He closed his eyes to pour energy into Maku and Kongu next to him. He opened one eye to check on the Nui-Jaga, still struggling in the net. _I can't think about that now,_ he thought. _If I focus on that and not what is at hand, I will never succeed! _The Ko-Matoran squinted his eyes and finished flowing his power into the others.

The rest of the villagers, too, focused in on each others' eyes. As they did so, their views went deeper than physically looking at faces behind masks, to the point of crossing borders of consciousness. Pooling their energies, the six villagers fused and became one being—they became the Matoran Nui, a hulking giant with yellow shoulder pads, red arms, white and blue legs, green feet, and a purple mask.

_Now to give this Nui-Jaga a lesson in power! _the new being thought. _First, I grab the net…and then I take this Rahi for a ride! _The Matoran Nui ripped the remaining vines off the Nui-Jaga before grabbing the creature's center and hurling it through the jungle canopy, flying into the far away Lake Pala. _But I—we—better split apart again, _it told itself. Even the mentality of 'we' over 'I' already began to move the Matoran Nui back into six Matoran.

The consciences of the Matoran villagers willfully devolved the giant. Matoro breathed heavily, catching his breath. "It was so exhausting to merge…but it was worth it!"

"How did you know that would work?" Jala asked. "I've never heard of that before." He helped Matoro up.

"Ko-Matoran records described such a being, called a Matoran Nui," the Ko-Matoran explained. "When I asked Turaga Nuju, he said that one was formed similar to what we did in a time long past. I always thought it was fiction, but suddenly had the feeling that we could really do it! If it's true, then maybe there has been a Matoran Nui in the past?"

"I don't ever remember hearing anything about it," Maku said, "and we know the island pretty well. If none of us remember it, it must have been a _long _time ago." The Matoran memory wasn't quite sure how long they had been on the island of Mata Nui, but they knew it was well over hundreds of years.

"Well, as far as today is concerned, we won," Onepu said, "because we're each unique."

Huki added, "And _also _because we worked together."

"Looks like we really _can _make a difference," Matoro smiled.

Maku high-fived him. "You've got that right, Matoro. Let's get going, my friends. Now _we _have a tale to tell the Toa!"

X X X

"How convenient," the dark inhabitant mused, watching Lewa and Kopaka near the other four heroes. "The Toa have gathered together…saving me the trouble of hunting them down."

Onua waited for all the Toa to arrive before beginning. "I felt it was time we met again," he said, looking at each member of the group. "This place holds dangers we never dreamed of…maybe even more than any of us can handle alone."

Gali nodded and stepped forward. "We need to learn to work together." Then she added, more quietly but more confidently, "Our future depends on it."

Lewa shrugged, folding his arms. "I don't think-know…I'm still not much for group-teaming up."

"Lewa, you and I both know that even you have had your fair share of troubles trying to find these masks on your own," Onua said, somewhat sternly toward his brother's resistance.

"I true-know," Lewa said, looking down. "And thank you again for your nice-help, but—"

Just then, a nearby volcano let out an ear-splitting explosion as lava burst out the top. All the Toa turned to look, Tahu being the most surprised—he hadn't been sensing any heat build up.

Lewa chose to amend his previous vote. "Then again, there's nothing like a little together-ness."

Onua watched the stones and fresh magma fly into the air before sliding down the slope. "That lava flow could destroy the entire island!" He turned to Lewa. "You have the Mask of Speed—can you get me there?"

Pohatu stepped forward. "I have a Kakama, too. What about me?"

Onua pointed at the other three Toa. "You stay here in case they need your elemental power."

Lewa shrugged again. "Sure-fine, Onua. But what are you think-planning to do once we're arrived-there?"

Onua smiled. "Watch and learn," he replied.

Lewa often thought that Onua was too slow to act. But in this case, he was happy to help his earth-brother take the initiative immediately. He switched masks to the Kanohi Kakama and pushed Onua's back, racing the two toward the foot of the volcano. "I thought that Tahu was the smart-expert on lava?" Lewa questioned.

"He is!" Onua shouted over his shoulder, struggling to be heard over the wind and crashing rocks. "But my people live underground—molten rock is nothing new to me." With that, he lowered his massive digging claws and started digging at an impressive rate—even without the aid of a Mask of Speed. "Your speed and my digging combined," he explained, "create a trench to catch the lava flow…" More rocks flew up out of the ground as Onua immediately displaced them. "…so it doesn't harm the island," the Toa of Earth finished.

The two had completed their perimeter around the base, with a sizeable moat that did exactly what they wanted. "Tahu couldn't have done far-better," Lewa said with a smile, saluting Onua.

X X X

The invisible audience member had seen their display as well, but had different feelings about their outcome. "The volcano drew two of the Toa away. My Rahi will show the others they were fools to challenge the power of Makuta."

Gali turned to see a rather poor-natured Muaka emerging from the nearby trees. She looked around to see the remaining Toa there. As the beast charged at her, she rolled onto her back, summoned her Mask of Strength, and kicked the creature. Simultaneously, she created a water spout under and behind the Rahi. It roared in frustration as it flew over her uncontrollably due to her enhanced legs and the propulsion of water.

"Here is a gift for you, Kopaka!" she called.

Kopaka raised his sword and blasted the oncoming projectile with his own elemental energy. "I hope you won't mind if I keep it chilled for later," he said as the last bit of exposed flesh and armor was covered in ice.

Pohatu smiled and cheered, but turned at another sound of Rahi emerging from the ocean shore. "Uh-oh. Looks like Tahu is about to have some unpleasant company!" The Toa of Stone concentrated on his ability, creating a sphere of stone where there hadn't been one before. With his durable boot, he kicked it against a wall where it ricocheted over to Tahu.

The Toa of Fire had seen the two approaching Tarakava as well, and with a passing shadow overhead, learned of Pohatu's generous effort, too. He heated his sword until it glowed bright, spun to give it momentum, and vertically cleaved the boulder clean in two. The resulting halves flew off to his flanks, each one smashing the reptilian Rahi dead center, convincing them to retreat underwater. Another rumbling made the Toa of Fire turn, though.

"A few thousand tons of sand will douse Toa Tahu's fire for good…" Makuta reasoned from his lair.

Tahu knew what was happening, too. "Makuta turns this very island against us! But he will soon see that with only a fraction of my power…" Tahu charged his sword and swung it in a flurry before ending with a final thrust, shooting a blast of flame toward the sand. "Sand becomes glass!" he shouted, gesturing to the clear, crystalline wall in front of him.

Once again, his victory was short-lived, as the onslaught continued. Two Nui-Rama fliers could be heard in the air only a second before bursting through the wall of glass, catching the Toa completely off guard.

"What—?" Tahu grunted, as each Rahi grabbed an arm and hauled him high into the air over his comrades. "Too bad I haven't found the Mask of Levitation, yet…" he muttered. He promptly added, when the Nui-Rama duo spontaneously dropped him, "because the ground is a _long _way down!"

Tahu tried to clear his head in the moment of crisis. He gathered his fire energies in his sword, but rather than releasing an explosion of flame, he simply let the energies radiate out in waves. "But perhaps…if I heat the air below me," he hoped, "it will slow my fall just enough that—_OOF!_"

"That I can catch you with ease, Tahu," Onua said in a friendly voice, cradling the Toa of Fire in his mighty arms. "You know, you really should seek out—"

"The Mask of Levitation," Tahu cut him off. "I know."

Off to the side once more, Kopaka and Gali found themselves side by side, facing a pair of Nui-Jaga scorpions. Their claws and stingers had been fast enough and big enough to keep the Toa's powers off-balance thus far. Kopaka switched masks, from his Akaku to his first find—the Kanohi Hau.

"I have the power of the Mask of Shielding," he said, activating it. "But you have no protection from their attack, Gali. Be careful."

Gali took advantage of Kopaka's unintended blessing. Both his comment and the unnatural blue aura or protection that now surrounded him had temporarily distracted the Rahi. She smiled, concentrating at the same time. "As long as the underground waters obey my commands, it is Makuta and his creatures that need protection!" she shouted, raising both her hooks. Out of nowhere, two underwater geysers erupted underneath both Rahi. As heavy as they were, their weight was not going to stop the power of water that its master had summoned. The waters indeed won the small conflict, sending both confused and scared scorpions hurtling a good distance out to sea.

"These Toa are more dangerous than I imagined," Makuta observed. "But there is nothing they can do to stop my returning Nui-Rama."

Onua saw the incoming fliers circling about, preparing to make what seemed to be dive-bomb, hit-and-run attacks. "More Rahi nightmares on the wing," he commented, creating a ball of compact earth in his hands. "I believe I have had _enough _of this!" With that cry, the ball was sent flying. Not only did it hit the lead Rama, but when the initial projectile fractured, Onua willed the remaining earth fragments to seek the two wingmen and pummel them as well, until all fled.

"It is over…for now," Makuta conceded, yielding his attention from the spectacle. "But when next the Toa challenge me, not all their power will save them. I underestimated them this time, but misjudgement is not cause for defeat…or even worry. I have much more to send their way."

Onua looked around at his gathered brothers and sister. All of them were spent from the previous fight. "We have won our first battle together as a team," he said, "but there will be more."

"We must be prepared to fight them, separately _and_ together," Gali encouraged.

Pohatu said with a smile, "You know, I almost feel sorry for Makuta, trying to take us all on."

Kopaka narrowed his eyes. "I have no use for teams," he said plainly.

The other five looked at him. Pohatu smiled again.

Kopaka sighed. "…but I will _assist_ when needed."

"Whoo-hoo!" Lewa let out, along with a flip. "Same here. The Masks of Power are as good as ours!"

Tahu raised his sword high, letting the warm sunlight gleam off of it. "Then let Makuta tremble this day—we will stand together, until those masks are ours!"


	3. Chapter 3

Takua's path to Onu-Koro was uneventful, save for the occasional small Rahi. The sands of Po-Wahi slowly gave way to the rocks of the mountains. Eventually, Takua reached the entrance to a tunnel. Two large, crab-like creatures were there along with their attendant.

"Howdy, traveler," he greeted Takua. "My name is Midak. Need a crab to Onu-Koro? It's awfully dark in there, but Puku knows the way. I heard there's another Ussal race coming up. Make sure you catch it if you're in town."

"My name is Takua. What do you mean an Ussal race?" Takua asked.

"The Ussal Crabs are strong and loyal," Midak began. "They help us with many things here, from mining to transportation…but mostly racing. I'm usually at the track, but with all the problems these days, there isn't much time for it."

"Tell me about the village of Onu-Koro," Takua asked. "This is my first visit…at least, as far as I can remember."

Midak smiled proudly. "Onu-Koro is the great undercity of Onu-Wahi, where the mines sink as deep as Mount Ihu is tall! The wise Turaga Whenua rules there. Most Onu-Matoran stay underground, but I actually find the sun more…hopeful. That gave me the job as perimeter keeper."

"Interesting. I think so, too," Takua agreed. With his recent amnesia, he could use the help. "I might be able to use a guide to help me around. Who is Puku?"

"Puku's a retired racing crab," Midak replied. "Used to belong to none other than Onepu himself. Took the winning title three times with him. Might be a bit long in the tooth now, but still fast!"

A fast companion who knew the way sounded like a good idea to Takua, even if it was an oversized crab. He looked back at the Rahi. After a few seconds of thought, he decided, "I do think I'll take Puku."

Midak walked to one of the crabs he had tethered to a rock outcropping. They were all fairly large, each about as tall as a Matoran but with six legs, a wide carapace on the back that could seat two or three Matoran, and two pincer arms extending near the head. The particular crab Midak was retrieving was different from the others in that it was slightly older (based on the movement and scratches in the armor) and it was more tame, like it was more comfortable being handled by a Matoran.

Takua took the reins and introduced himself. "Hello, Puku," he said, trying to be as friendly in tone as he could. "I'm Takua." He gently patted the carapace. "I'll be your new friend for a while."

The crab moved to a lower height that invited Takua to hop on for the ride, and the appendages of its eyes moved into a content stance.

Takua climbed on and took a seat. "There. That's a good, uh…" Takua looked at Midak.

_Girl, _Midak silently mouthed.

"Girl," Takua finished, again patting the carapace behind Puku's head. "Good girl. Thanks, Midak."

"Safe travels," the Onu-Matoran handler replied.

X X X

They reached the village quickly. Puku was indeed still fast, as Midak the Ussal handler had said. There were many huts throughout the darkness, lit only by the occasional torch or candle, with the rare appearance of rocks that gave off their own glow. Takua nodded a greeting to the Onu-Matoran guard posted at the entrance, noticing the large bamboo disk strapped to his back. Once he passed the outer and inner guards of the village, Takua decided to seek out Turaga Whenua.

The first hut he encountered on his way in seemed to house more Ussal Crabs, where another Onu-Matoran was tending to them. The handler caught sight of Takua. "You there! Fetch those saddles!" he shouted to him. "And we need more disks for defense. Step to it!"

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Takua asked, directing Puku to ride closer.

The Matoran handler's eyes visibly squinted. "Oh…my apologies. Even with my eyesight, I wasn't paying clear attention—I thought you were one of my troops. Try to stay out of the way, traveler. We're organizing a patrol. With all the lights out in Onu-Koro, the Rahi have stepped up their raids. Take care when traveling in the deep mines and tunnels—the Kofo-Jaga can appear at any time. Battling them takes special skill."

"Who are you?" Takua asked.

"You don't remember me? I remember you. Of course, we didn't speak for very long after you helped us last time. Onepu, at your service," he replied with a small bow. "I am the Captain of the famous Onu-Koro Ussal Regiment, Champion of Ussal Racing, and Special Aide of Whenua, our great Turaga. I'm also one of our bamboo disk competitors, but practice had to be cut short today when new trouble reached Onu-Koro."

"I'm Takua. What are the Rahi you mentioned, the Kofo-Jaga?"

"They are small creatures," Onepu explained, "but incredibly fierce and cunning…they attack by surprise, and always in large numbers. They shun bright light and use darkness and fear as weapons. Their nests are scattered throughout Onu-Wahi, and woe betide the miner who breaks through to one! Usually, Whenua uses his special drill to detect these nests before they are opened, but he has been busy and the miners have been desperate to find more protodermis veins."

Suddenly worried about his trip out of the village, Takua inquired, "How do I battle the Kofo-Jaga, if I should come across them?"

"The Regiment depends on its gallant steeds, and a healthy supply of disks, when fighting the Kofo-Jaga," Onepu replied. "The darkness gives the Makuta's minions strength. It's good to have a lightstone with you, if you can find one."

"Well, then I had better get one before I leave the village," Takua thought aloud. "Thank you for your help Onepu. Good luck." Takua reined Puku to ride deeper into Onu-Koro.

"May your crab ride swift and true, Takua!" Onepu called as he left.

Still on his temporary mission to find the Turaga, Takua wandered about the huts, wondering which might house the elder. After several minutes of navigating Puku through Onu-Koro, they came across a hut with a shrine in front of it; the general look reminded Takua of Turaga Vakama's home in Ta-Koro. Dismounting Puku and tethering the reins to nearby earth, Takua began to enter the likely structure. Upon entering, however, he heard a discussion already taking place within among several persons.

"Turaga," began a purple and black armored Matoran with a large disk, noting his role as a guard or soldier, "the mining guilds have hit an underground rock layer that they cannot break through. We fear the protodermis will run out if we cannot continue our digging!"

"How far does it run?" asked another being. This one held a staff that looked like a drill. Based on the Matoran's greeting, the figure's stature, and the staff of office, that must have been Whenua.

"Shaft 3 and Shaft 8 have ceased protodermis mining because they cannot break through this rock layer," the Matoran answered him.

"That's the entire mining area!" Whenua exclaimed.

"Yes, Turaga," the purple fellow replied. "For all we know, the strata extends beneath all of Mata Nui, except perhaps the Mangai volcano."

"Are you certain there is no soft spot to dig through, Captain?" asked Whenua.

"We've been over every inch of the surface," replied the Captain. "There are no fractures, no fault lines, nothing!"

Whenua thought for a moment, then inquired, "How much remains of the surface deposits?"

The Captain looked down at his feet. "They are running out. We may have to look elsewhere for more protodermis. Somewhere like Ta-Wahi, or Po-Wahi." The Captain regained his posture, trying to instill more confidence into the tone of the conversation. "Our prospectors believe it to be rock, but it has higher organic levels than any mineral composite we've seen."

"Organic?" Whenua seemed surprised. Even to Takua, a Matoran untrained in minerals and ores, an "organic" substance was curious, indeed.

"Yes," the Captain affirmed. "It seems to have more in common with an Ussal Crab shell than any normal stone strata."

"Strange. I wonder what we will find if we break through?" wondered Whenua.

The Captain seemed eager to press his point. "Respected Turaga, I must have more men and more machines if we are to know. You must allocate more resources to the mining guilds!"

"Damek, I am doing everything I can," replied Whenua with a raised hand. "No one wants to see the protodermis run out. But Onu-Koro has many problems right now. We cannot take our attention off of any one of them."

As if to support Whenua's statement, one of the other attendees volunteered one of those many problems. "Yes! Quite importantly, without a fresh supply of lightstones, we cannot light the digging site."

"Have you been able to continue the tunneling at all?" Whenua asked.

"Yes, but we are working at about twenty-five percent capacity. It is too dark down there to work safely!" complained the miner.

"The Le-Koro Highway must be completed soon," Whenua insisted. "We need safe passage between the villages. Our unity is at stake."

"Turaga, we cannot ask our workers to continue under these conditions!" exclaimed the worker.

"Taipu says he can dig by torchlight, without difficulty," Whenua pointed out.

"Taipu is very stubborn, and strong," admitted the miner. "But he is slow even when he has a team of diggers to help him. One Matoran cannot dig a tunnel to Le-Koro!"

"Foreman," said Whenua resignedly, "until we can repair the flood damage, there is little I can do."

"You can give us more Matoran, and more equipment!" plead the foreman. "The Guilds and the Traders have extra. We can use those!"

"They do _not _have extra," Whenua corrected. "And how would it help if they did?"

"The air is foul because of the torches, and the Rahi frequently attack because of the darkness," stated the Foreman. "If we had more workers, we could alternate teams before they get ill. We could put more guards on duty."

"Foreman, I understand the problems you are facing," Whenua commiserated. "I am doing everything in my power to get you the help you need. But you must be patient."

But Takua could see that a lack of patience was on view everywhere. The third attendee facing Whenua chose to speak up. "Turaga Whenua, these problems pale before the one I bring before you and I will not tolerate this kind of delay! The Trade Guilds have contracts with four of Po-Koro's most influential artists."

"I understand that, Zemya," said Whenua (rather exasperated by now), "and I am doing everything I can."

"Protodermis production is stopped," the tradesman complained. "Stonemasons are slowed by the darkness, and half the shipments were lost to Rahi!"

"Ta-Koro torches are being used to light the stone quarries now," Whenua explained. "Those deliveries will be made."

"The Kofo-Jaga are not afraid of torchlight," the tradesman reminded the Turaga. "And what of the protodermis? The Po-Matoran cannot trade stone for nothing! They make goods from the protodermis. Without it they cannot trade for stone! We will lose that market." The tradesman was clearly concerned about this economic dilemma.

"The Mine Captains are working to break through this rock layer. Until then there is little we can do," Whenua continued. "There are other markets," he said, less concerned.

The tradesman pressed on. "And what of the Le-Koro highway? It was to be finished months ago. My caravans refuse to travel to the south until it is complete!"

"The Le-Matoran will have to come trade at our market until it is finished," offered Whenua.

"They _try_, Turaga!" exclaimed the tradesman, now quite agitated. "But they can no more come north than we can go south!"

"Yes…perhaps the sea is a better route?" pondered Whenua.

"There are even more dangerous Rahi in the waters than on land!" the tradesman said. "What of Onua? Is he doing nothing to help Onu-Koro?"

"Onua did not descend from the heavens to help your profits, Guildmaster." It was Whenua who was agitated now. "He is pursuing a great quest that may yet save us all."

The Guildmaster was hard to dissuade. "I demand that more attention be paid to the needs of the Trade Guilds! The Great Market is Onu-Koro's most valuable asset!"

"Guildmaster," began Whenua wearily, "I will speak with Onepu. Perhaps he can spare an escort for your caravans until the Highway is complete."

The conversation had finally died down and the complaints had stopped coming, but Takua could see that Whenua had very little time for him. He decided it best to simply get going and see where he could help. Exiting the threshold of the hut, Takua remounted Puku and set off.

Beyond Whenua's hut was another tunnel, with a map outside it marked with symbols. Among the torches' fires and wavy lines, Takua saw what looked like a lightstone in the cave. The cave's entrance could have fit Puku, but it was too close. Takua instead hopped off the pet crab and tethered her reins near the cave opening. Hoping he could find a lightstone brighter than his current one to suit the dark caves of Onu-Wahi, Takua entered the tunnel.

X X X

The tunnel, true to form, was very dark, even with Takua's lightstone held out in front of him. He inched forward in the darkness cautiously. Finally, he saw a light up ahead. It was a lightstone marking a fork in the tunnel. Recalling the map he had seen upon entering, he decided to follow the left path.

Two flickering torches marked the entrance to the Lightstone Mine, titled the "Cavern of Light" on a sign outside the entrance. Takua wandered in a ways until he met up with some of the miners. Very quickly, he realized something was wrong. The room was very warm, and the air smelled like Ta-Koro. Looking around the edge of the cave, Takua saw lava flowing out from pipes onto the floor.

A miner approached Takua's right flank, a large key in his hands. He was black-armored and wore a dark purple Kanohi Miru. "Better stay clear of this area. There's a runaway lava flow that burst from Ta-Wahi. There's no way to get to the Lightstone Mine until it's rerouted."

"How long do you think that will take?" Takua asked. "I heard the Turaga saying that the village was in need of more lightstones."

"Well, we lost a bunch of drilling equipment when that flow burst," said another miner on the left. "It's all stuck on the other side of the firelake! If only we could get across! Do you know any way to do that, Kaj?"

The first miner, Kaj, replied, "Well, certain minerals might be strong enough to withstand that heat, but I can't be sure they'd make it there and back."

Takua suddenly remembered one of his excursions to Ta-Koro. _I can get across, _he thought to himself. The Lavaboard! _It can't be all that hard to surf across lava…right? _He took the surfboard out of his backpack. "I'm a Ta-Matoran. I have my Lavaboard with me! It was made for this. I could go across."

Kaj and his partner exchanged a glance. "If you want to try," Kaj offered. "It'd be a huge help!"

There was only one way to find out. Before Takua could change his mind, threw his Lavaboard down into the lava and made a running jump for it. Takua smiled at the exhilarating ride as he glided across the top of the lava. Fortunately, just when it seemed all of the momentum had left the board, he arrived at the other side of the pool, much to the praise of the Onu-Matoran still on the other side.

Takua pulled his board onto dry ground, and left it there for his return, moving about the piece of ground he was on. He found a pump there, but it clearly wasn't working—with only a small examination Takua could see that only a few of the buttons even lit up.

"That machine just needs to be properly programmed!" Kaj called from across the lava on the floor.

"Tell me the sequence!" Takua called back.

As he entered what Kaj told him, he saw more and more of the buttons on the machines lighting, and could hear different parts of the machine activating again. In almost no time at all, all of the buttons were lit and the pump completely sprang to life.

The valves on the leaking pipes began to close until no more lava was flowing into the hallway, and the remaining lava started flowing through the pump, exiting the room. Soon, the lava receded and Kaj brought over the key to re-open the Lightstone Mine, beckoning with a hand and a smile for Takua to follow.

Takua went in to take a look. It was a room unlike any he had ever seen. A million stars lit up the night sky, only the "sky" was made of rock and the stars were made of glowing stone. A prospector was surveying the room while the miners went to work.

"Azibo, this Matoran is the one that made passage to the Lightstone Mine safe, again!" Kaj informed him.

"Great work, stranger!" said the prospector, turning to praise Takua. This Onu-Matoran wore an orange Kanohi Matatu. "There's a lot of folks in Onu-Koro who will be glad you found a way to the lightstones. The lightstone deposits in this cave will keep Onu-Koro lit for a long time. Pretty sure they'll keep the Rahi back, too." Before long, the miners and Azibo had three cartloads of lightstones heading back to the village.

Pleased with himself, Takua made for a now much-brighter Onu-Koro. The three had very quickly taken lightstones and distributed them among the village and tunnels. _Alright, _Takua thought. _Lighting the place was the first step to improvement. _He looked across the way and read a sign saying 'Great Mine.' _Let's see what other troubles persist._

X X X

As Takua traveled the tunnel leading to the Great Mine, he looked around in amazement at the amount of work that must have gone into the making of this place. Where only a few idle Ussal Crabs and abandoned equipment had been before, all was now abuzz with activity, thanks to the safety the lightstones brought. At the end of the tunnel, Takua saw someone surveying the mine near an elevator shaft.

"Hello, I'm Takua. Who are you?" he asked, approaching the Onu-Matoran.

"I'm Mamru, the Chief Prospector for Mine Shaft 8," he replied. "We dig for protodermis and stone here. Have you brought word from Whenua? Has he figured out how to get through this rock layer?"

Takua shook his head. "No, I haven't, and he hasn't discovered anything, either. Tell me more about this rock layer."

Mamru pointed down the shaft. "At the bottom of Shaft B; the elevator goes down there. Onu-Koro's had real problems since we hit this strata. Can't dig through it or blast it. Not even Onua could claw through it; it's just too strong. The Mining Captains have been trying to get Whenua to give us more workers and machines, but I'm not sure they would even help. If we don't find a way through this rock, there won't be any more protodermis, to mine, trade, or use."

Less than eager to relive the heated discussion he had already seen in Whenua's hut, Takua simply reiterated, "Well, Whenua has not sent any word yet. He doesn't seem able to spread resources without making any one area too thin on supplies or men."

Mamru did not look surprised at all. "I knew it. Well, look out for Rahi in the tunnels! It's dark down here!" he warned Takua. "Take care when traveling in the deep mines and tunnels; the Kofo-Jaga can appear at any time."

"Thank you. Goodbye," Takua said. To himself, though, he thought, _I want to see this mysteriously impenetrable rock layer, myself. _He entered the elevator to ride to Shaft B, which only had but one lever control. Pulling it down made his descent begin.

The ride was uneventful, but Takua quickly learned that he had deeply underestimated how far down the mine shaft went. After several long minutes of descent, Takua reached the bottom, where he stepped out of the elevator to see someone else pondering the ground in the distance. Takua began the walk over to the Matoran, already figuring out that this must be the layer everyone above was talking about; all about the area were broken and shattered tools.

"That strange disk on the ground is the only feature this rock layer has. I'm not sure what it is," said the miner, half to himself and half to Takua's approach. "They look like astrological symbols…if I knew an astrologer, I'd sure have a few questions for them!"

"Who are you, and what are you working on?" Takua asked.

"I'm a prospector for the Mining Guild," he replied. "My name's Tehutti. We're trying to figure out how to get through this rock layer and mine more protodermis and stone."

Takua nodded. "Right, I'd heard some of the plight from Whenua in the village above." He looked down at the area of ground in front of the prospector, seeing the feature he had mentioned. "I heard you mention a disk. Is that it?" Takua checked.

"Yes, the one on the ground over here," Tehutti replied. "It's covered with strange symbols. We have no idea how it came to be here, buried so far underground, and sunk into this hard rock. It's very mysterious."

Takua looked back at the Onu-Matoran. "Did I hear you say you needed an astrologer?"

Tehutti got very excited. "Yes! Are you an expert on the stars? You might be able to save Onu-Koro!"

Takua bit his lip. He hated to take Tehutti's newfound hope, but had nothing better to say than the truth. "Well, no…but I know an astrologer. Maybe she can help? She's a Ga-Matoran named Nixie."

"Great!" Tehutti exclaimed. He scribbled a small carving and handed it to Takua. "Take this message and deliver it. I've sketched out this disk. Maybe your friend can figure out if it means anything helpful to our digging."

Takua sighed, but agreed to take the message to Nixie, slipping it into his backpack. Now, he just had to ride the elevator back up the shaft, collect Puku from where he'd left her at the entrance to the Great Mine, make his way out of Onu-Koro to the edge of Onu-Wahi, and then get in his boat and sail halfway around the island to return to Ga-Koro.

Trying to look on the bright side, Takua thought, _Well…I wanted to help, and I like to travel. At least I'll have plenty of time to update my Chronicler's Book from Nokama._

X X X

Gali was very glad that Onua's meeting had gone more smoothly than the last…at least the decision-making had. It had ended in one unanimous decision: the Toa would work as a team. Each of the Toa had encountered at least one Rahi during their travels, and Gali was no exception. After encountering more Tarakava recently, she respected the creature's power more than ever. The Turaga had told them that all the Rahi were native beasts of the island—controlled by Makuta to do his bidding. _Perhaps when we've found all the masks, we'll also find a way to set the Rahi free, _Gali thought.

She only wished that the mission were going more smoothly. They had wasted too much time on petty disagreements. Lewa kept getting distracted and wandering away from the group. Tahu seemed determined to completely disable every Rahi they encountered. Kopaka periodically got fed up with the bickering and threatened to go off again on his own.

Through it all, Gali did her best to maintain the peace. She could tell that Onua was working toward the same goal in a quieter way and found her respect for the strong, reserved Toa of Earth growing more and more. Now, as they approached the shoreline just south of Po-Koro, she glanced at him. "Onua," she said, "if what the Ta-Matoran told us is accurate, we will need to go beneath the waters to retrieve Tahu's Levitation mask."

Lewa overheard her and groaned. "Not again!" he cried. "I already took one wet-dive to get my Mask of Speed. I still haven't got all the water-yuck out of my ears!"

"Don't be foolish," Kopaka spoke up. "Obviously, only those among us who already hold the Mask of Water Breathing should go on from here. Pohatu, Lewa, Tahu—you can wait on the beach."

Tahu glared at him. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious," he retorted. "But it's _my _mask we're after here—my villager was the one who revealed its location. I think _I _should be the one to decide whether or not I go."

Gali rolled her eyes. "It would be helpful to have several of us standing guard on the beach, brother Tahu," she pointed out.

"That's true," Tahu admitted, though he still shot Kopaka an irritated glance. "Go with good fortune, Gali. We'll keep a careful watch for danger while we wait here for your return."

Onua was already leading the way into the surf, with Kopaka a step behind. Gali followed, feeling some of her anxiety wash away at the touch of the warm, familiar water. She dove into the waves, swimming quickly out into deeper water. Soon, the three of them reached the broad, open sweep of the sea valley. Kopaka pointed to a large, shadowy shape visible in the water. Gali shuddered as she recognized the Tarakava.

"I escaped from one Tarakava by blinding it with waving seaweed, and from another by luring it into a cave where it got stuck," Gali told the others. "These Rahi are strong, but not very clever, I think. All we need is a plan…."

X X X

Soon the three of them were swimming slowly toward the Tarakava. A moment later the creature spotted them and let out a roar. "Okay, it knows we're here," Gali whispered, floating in place. "Kopaka, get ready."

The Ice Toa nodded. The Tarakava barreled toward them. Soon it was only a short distance away, then closer…still, Kopaka didn't move. Gali held her breath. The beast would be upon them within seconds. As she was about to cry out, the Ice Toa finally made his move. With a twitch of his ice blade, he sent a blast of intense cold out ahead of him, instantly freezing the water—and the Tarakava—into a solid block of ice.

"Nice work!" Onua cried, his deep voice rumbling through the water like an earthquake. "Now it's my turn…" With that, he struck the sandy ocean floor with his fists. The ground swelled up, arcing over the giant Tarakava ice cube until it completely surrounded the frozen area.

"That should hold it for a while," Gali said, relieved. "Now all we have to do is—"

"Wait," Onua interrupted, staring at the Tarakava, whose head protruded out of the dirt-and-ice mound that trapped it. "I just want to see something…." He swam toward the creature, carefully staying out of range of its jaws. Patting the dirt mound before him, he caused it to burst upward in a small explosion, knocking the Tarakava's mask from its face.

The creature's violent spasms stopped immediately. After a moment it let out a wail of dismay and started to wriggle again, but this time it completely ignored Onua. "I thought that might happen," Onua said. "When Pohatu and I encountered a pair of Nui-Rama, he knocked off the masks of one of them. The creature suddenly changed—flew away instead of continuing the fight."

Kopaka nodded thoughtfully. "Something similar happened when I met a Kuma-Nui my way to Po-Wahi."

"I wish I'd mentioned it earlier," Onua said. "I didn't realize it might be important—until just now."

Gali noticed that Kopaka didn't make the same apology. "We have learned something important here, I think," she said. "It is through these infected Kanohi Masks that Makuta controls the Rahi." Noticing the grey shape of a mask against the white sand nearby, she darted forward to scoop it up.

"Mission accomplished," Onua said, as Kopaka and he cancelled their powers, releasing the now-docile Rahi. "Come on, let's get back."


	4. Chapter 4

"Strange…" Nixie whispered. "A prospector found this in Onu-Koro? Underground? Who would build a sundial underground? Perhaps there was an earthquake, and it fell beneath the earth…"

"Can you make anything out of it?" Takua asked, also looking at the carving as she inspected it.

"I think so," she answered, with so-so confidence. "Yes, this is an ancient sundial, used many ages ago. You can tell because it has eighteen markings around its edge—one for each hour of the day, like the ones we use now. I am certain that its purpose has been completely forgotten. The strange thing about it is that it has an extra, unique indicator at four o'clock. No other sundials have this marking. I wonder why…"

Nixie then fumbled around on a nearby desk before turning back to Takua. "Here, take this gnomon and see if it fits in the center of the sundial. You see, I found it in the foothills of Mount Ihu a long time ago, and since then have been looking for the sundial to which it belongs. You may have found it for me!"

Takua took the gnomon, a sliver of material that seemed to be similar to this sundial the Onu-Matoran had discovered. It was supposedly the arm meant to lay in the middle, which depicted the time when sunlight fell on it.

"If it is in a cave, we may not ever find out what makes four o'clock so special, since there won't be any sunlight," Nixie thought on. "You may have to make some way to fake sunlight around it, either in the right position or right amount."

"Thanks, Nixie," Takua said, as he got ready to leave. "I'm sure the Onu-Matoran will be grateful as well." Takua thought about the journey ahead of him…he really hoped that Tehutti and Nixie wouldn't need any more exchanging.

X X X

"Don't be stupid," Kopaka snapped. "You'll only end up killing yourself—and making a mess for the rest of us to clean up."

Pohatu sighed, wondering if it had been a mistake to split into two groups. If Onua or Gali were here, maybe one of them could settle this argument between Kopaka and Lewa. But they, along with Tahu, had gone to Le-Wahi in search of Pohatu's second-to-last mask.

Now Pohatu stood atop the highest bluff in his own home region, staring at the mask that hung tantalizingly halfway down the sheer rock face. At the bottom of the cliff was an enormous Nui-Jaga. The Rahi knew the Toa were there—every few seconds, it turned its masked face toward them and rattled its large stinger tail.

"Perhaps our icy brother is right, Lewa," Pohatu suggested. "If you miss your mark and fall—well, anyway, I'm sure we can find another way if we put our minds together."

Lewa shrugged, his smile never faltering. "Why worry-bother?" he said. "After all, this way is so much more funnnnnnnnnn…." The last word was lost in a rush of movement as Lewa launched himself off of the cliff with both arms outstretched.

"That fool!" Kopaka muttered savagely.

Pohatu couldn't speak. He could only hold his breath, hardly daring to watch. It was his own Kanohi Kaukau that Lewa was trying to grab as he swept past—he wouldn't be able to live with himself if Lewa's bold attempt ended in catastrophe.

"Wheeeeeeee!" Lewa cried, snatching the mask in one hand as he swooped past, then sweeping one arm through the air to call the wind to his aid. The sudden gust that resulted gave him a quick lift. But he soon left the wind behind, floating upward on his own power.

"He uses the Mask of Levitation well," Kopaka admitted grudgingly as he watched the grinning Lewa ascend toward them. Pohatu shot a glance at the Ice Toa. Beneath all his coldness, Kopaka had an honest heart.

A second later Lewa landed beside them. "One Kanohi Kaukau, as ordered," he said, breathlessly, tossing the mask to Pohatu. "Hope it fits, because I'd sorry-hate to have to return it."

X X X

"So it's a sundial after all…" Tehutti said, in response to Takua's story. "Very odd! Who would put a sundial underground!? What does it mean? Well, the astrologer said something's significant about the fourth hour, is that right?"

"It is," confirmed Takua.

"Any ideas? We can't dig it, we can't drill it, we can't blow it up…how do we get through?" Tehutti wondered.

Takua reached into his backpack and pulled out the gnomon from Mount Ihu. "Maybe this is a start," he said. "The astrologer gave it to me from her travels. Maybe we can project light on it the right way?" He placed the gnomon arm in the center of the sundial as on any other, facing the correct direction.

As he stared at the sundial, Takua suddenly thought about the light being the answer. He took out his lightstone and cast its glow upon the gnomon from the right angle to fall on the number 'four.' Due to the first few initial seconds of boredom, Takua started to think this was completely wrong.

But if he had stopped, it would have been too soon. The dial began to glow, first simply illuminating the features of the face in the deep underground. It kept growing in intensity, though, and soon the entire face of the sundial was lost in light. Then the glow faded, and as it did, Takua's lightstone illuminated that the sundial was gone, replaced by a spiral staircase that lead even further down into the depths.

"Looks like we had the right idea, Takua!" Tehutti exclaimed. "That disk was a passage through the rock after all!"

"I'm going to go check this out," Takua said, already moving toward the entrance to the staircase. "You can start getting what equipment you may need again."

Takua went down the spiral cautiously. The chamber he entered was lit all around, not by lightstones, but by an unknown source, keeping the walls white and the flooring a light blue. At the bottom, he was amazed to see a gold mask floating in the air above a stone column. He couldn't make out what kind of Kanohi it was, but above the Kanohi, was one word: RAHI. There was little else to the room, and because Takua couldn't reach the mask nor interact with anything else, he decided to (reluctantly) make his way back up to the mine shaft.

Tehutti was gone when Takua returned, apparently not very curious about the interior of what used to be the Great Sundial. Planning ahead for his next course of action, Takua decided to meet with Whenua to discuss the news of Onu-Koro in person.

X X X

Lewa jumped happily out of the top of a tree, momentarily earning a pleasant view of the canopy of the Le-Wahi jungle. Then with a flash, he was back in the underbrush. Landing on a branch, he leaped off again into another tree, and then onto another, jumping and dancing rhythmically to the atmospheric music of the jungle. Two more consecutive tree branches helped move his lightweight and acrobatic form flipping to grab a vine, swinging through the air as a mental crescendo resounded. Finally, he penetrated the canopy again, this time resting on a vantage point above the tall green blanket below. He crouched at first; then, content, he sat and crossed his legs, leaning his back against the trunk of the tree and smiling to himself.

The Toa of Air had found larger success by working with the other Toa, but he still needed a break. The heroes had temporarily parted ways to check in on their villages—the Rahi were still attacking them, after all. Lewa decided to enjoy the expansive beauty of Le-Wahi on his way there.

_The other Toa-warriors need to enjoy their life-breath more, _he thought to himself, looking over the island. _Shadowy it may be, short from a nice-paradise it still can be. _Suddenly a form shot by him, nearly knocking him out of the tree. A timely updraft helped re-right unbalanced form. _Someone just needs to take away-care of these many-creatures, _he thought, annoyed.

The flying form continued its path to join a swarm of the flying creatures—Nui-Rama. They flew out of the trees around him, filling the sky. There were so many, as far as the eye could see, the swarm having appeared out of the sea of plants. Scores of them lined the skies, surrounding the Toa of Air. Lewa's eyes narrowed. He'd been here for a month and already knew the feel of the jungle. _I may have just here-arrived, but I already heart-know that this is my home-land! _

Each Toa had his or her own fighting style. Gali and Kopaka were thinkers and planners, Pohatu and Onua less so, and Tahu and Lewa…even less so. However, Lewa was no imbecile. He took stock of his Kanohi arsenal, noted the arrangement of the Nui-Rama around him, and then remembered the most important thing—he and his foes were in high altitude, just his kind of battlefield.

Changing masks to his Kanohi Pakari, Lewa jumped high and powerful off of the tree branch. At the pinnacle of his jump, he locked eyes with the closest Nui-Rama…then speedily flew away from it surprising another! Crashing into that second one, he ripped its two infected Kanohi off. Before the first could even identify what had happened, a blast of air knocked it out of its flight control. Even as it began to fall in a spiral, Lewa jumped onto it, kicking one mask off and then tearing the other away with his axe.

Spiralling downward toward the jungle canopy, Lewa let out a cry as he let go of the Nui-Rama, its rotational inertia sending him flying into another Nui-Rama, where quick kicking and spinning allowed him to disable a third Nui-Rama. That was three down in less than as many seconds.

Now the other flyers began to swoop in, their dull brains finally recognizing the threat. Lewa called the proper currents to lift him high again as he changed to his Kanohi Kakama. Combining his new speed with his power of flight, he performed a nimble mid-air split-kick, hitting two Nui-Rama heads at once.

It was then that the Toa of Air nearly took his first hit. Another flyer was speeding toward him. He twisted his body, causing it to just barely miss grabbing his Mask of Power. "Too close, ugly-one!" he laughed, summoning another wind to help him land safely on a tree standing tall out of the canopy. He grabbed on to the fleshy vines and veins with his left hand, perched with his feet, and let his axe sway freely over space in his right.

Now that he finally stopped moving, the Rahi began swarming in on his position. But when they tried to fly close to weaken him, they simply bounced away, repelled by the shield generated by Lewa's Kanohi Hau. They buzzed angrily and tried again and again, but could not penetrate the energies.

The army wasn't going to give up, though. One clever flyer came at Lewa from behind, and the Hau wouldn't protect against ambush attacks. But it, too, was frustrated. When it reached his position, it's claws swiped at the Toa of Air only to find…air! The flying insect came to a stop, looking around.

Lewa, now wearing his Noble Kanohi Mahiki jumped onto its back from another portion of the tree. He roughly backflipped off, sending it downward, too. As he flew high to continue his fight with the Rahi, he switched to his Noble Kanohi Matatu next. Hovering on a cushion of air, he telekinetically seized hold of one of the Rahi and sent it into another, knocking both of their infected Kanohi off.

"Haha! These many-masks sure are help-friendly!" he marveled, actually enjoying this battle. He released his control over the air pressure beneath him, falling into another tree. Again, he switched masks, now to his Noble Kanohi Huna, which caused him to fade out of view. Something might have been able to see him…if he sat still long enough. _And why would I ever-do that? _he wondered, leaping from the tree back into the fight.

The Nui-Rama looked for him, but did not find him…until one of the Rahi suddenly went down, followed by another as the Toa leaped between them. Seeing the numbers drop and some Rahi retreat, Lewa felt confident. _I am the mystery-king of the heart-jungle! _he thought triumphantly, turning the mask power of invisibility off.

The Toa of Air flew high over his surveyed "kingdom" of the jungle, admiring the sight. But not all of the Rahi had been scared away. One flier rammed into his back, from his blind spot. Too surprised to react, Lewa was simply dragged along for the ride as the Rahi rammed into the nearest tree. Stunned from the two blows, Lewa fell into the jungle far below.

X X X

When Takua entered Whenua's hut this time, there were no other noisy complainers, and he looked very relaxed. In fact, he even spoke first. "Thank you, Takua, for helping with so many of Onu-Koro's problems! It seems we owe you our gratitude once again. I thought the guild masters would never leave me alone! Now that I have some peace, is there anything you would ask of me?"

Takua blinked a couple times with wide eyes. _I guess Kaj, Mamru, and Tehutti must have told him about what I've done, already, _he assumed. "Remind me a little bit about yourself."

"Ah…I'd heard your fall had its…effects. I am Whenua, the Turaga of Onu-Koro," he replied. "It is my job to keep things running smoothly around here. A hard task in these difficult times, but made much easier due to your late exploits."

"What do you think of Onu-Koro?" Takua asked.

"Onu-Koro is the wondrous under-city of Mata Nui," Whenua beamed. "Matoran come from near and far to trade at our great market, and marvel at the work of our engineers. Stone dug from our quarries fuels the creations of Po-Matoran carvers. Protodermis, the stuff of life, is brought from deposits within the earth and traded amongst the Matoran. We also mine lightstones, and many other precious resources."

"I overheard your earlier talk with Damek and Zemya," Takua said. "I think I may have helped with some of them, but does Onu-Koro suffer from any other troubles?"

"Ah, yes," Whenua said, obviously remembering the exact conversation with ease. "There were a couple of items to be discussed. Onu-Koro's trade and economy were both plummeting because protodermis mining had crawled to a stop due to the inability to dig through the material in which the Great Sundial was housed. You found that passageway beneath; it's not a solution, but might provide a clue to one. The other issue was the safety of Onu-Matoran diggers trying to construct a highway to Le-Koro. Because Rahi attack in the dark, the Onu-Matoran have to carry torches with them. But lightstones are much brighter and last longer. You helped Kaj and his workers reach the largest lightstone mine—the Cavern of Light—so I expect more diggers to have lightstones soon. You have helped us all, and we are grateful."

"Well, it sounds like you are well on your way, Turaga," Takua said with a smile. "Oh! I almost forgot. The room beneath the sundial—there was a message, but all it said was 'Rahi.' Do you know what that means?"

"Perhaps it was simply a late warning, or perhaps it is still an early one," Whenua reflected. "Thank you for the note. I will remember it."

"Well, I'd better be off then," Takua said, gathering his things and turning to leave.

"Good luck in your travels, Takua," Whenua said as he was walking. "May Onua protect you."

The name stopped Takua. He remembered it from when Whenua was speaking with the guild masters. He turned back and asked, "Who is Onua? I heard Mamru mention him, and you in the meeting from earlier…but I thought he was another Onu-Matoran?"

Whenua smiled. "No, Takua. Onua is the Toa of our village. He is a great hero, engaged currently on a quest to find the Masks of Power, which he will need to defeat the Makuta."

"Oh, him. I see," Takua said, slightly embarrassed. "Thank you again, Turaga."

X X X

Lewa landed with a hard crash on the swampy ground of Le-Wahi. In a strange twist, the impact actually woke him back up. He blinked his eyes, regaining his senses. "Hmmm, maybe not my big-brightest idea…" he muttered. He could tell the Nui-Rama were still searching for him, but he heard them before he saw them. Dashing over to a large leafing plant, he sat, camouflaged by his green and light-green armor.

Overhead, the Rahi flew, their numbers seeming endless. _I just hard-need to fight the heart-source, _he realized. _Not the number-armies… _Lewa switched to another mask from his searching, the Noble Kanohi Komau. He waited until one of the Rahi flew within range, then triggered its powers of mind control. The Rahi stopped and twitched, but did exactly as the Toa of Air commanded—STAY PUT.

While the Nui-Rama waited for its next order, Lewa jumped up from tree to tree, using the elastic vines and strong branches to elevate him to the insect's level. He made sure to keep the concentration of the mask focused, so he would not lose his newfound friend. When he was there, he jumped onto the back of the Rahi and commanded it to lift them out of the jungle, back above the canopy. It did so, just as the sun was setting over the expansive jungle of Mata Nui.

But when he reached the height he desired, Lewa saw no Nui-Rama out in the open. Turning his mount left and right with the powers of the mask, he searched for his enemies. Finally, as little dots against the red and orange semi-circle over the horizon, he spotted them, flying toward a unique structure that stood apart from the rest of the trees.

_The many-nest,_ Lewa realized, _exactly what I was look-searching for! Wait until the other Toa-warriors here this! _

Still using the powers of the Komau, Lewa directed his own Nui-Rama to fly them closer to the home of the entire army of Nui-Rama fliers. It was tall, standing like a tree, but with no growth or green on it. Instead, it was a brown structure, natural, yet made—made by its inhabitants, the Nui-Rama. Its general shape was cylindrical, with its largest opening at the top and smaller entrances in the sides. Lewa flew directly over the structure and then down into the darkness.

Down and down they flew, through the organic nest material and construction. They continued on for more than a few minutes, flying straight down into the nest. Finally, Lewa could see a wall, but it was made messily enough that he could see through the fibers of its constitution. Behind it was the Nui-Rama swarm.

_No second-think! _he reminded himself confidently. Eyes narrowing, he focused the power of the mask, causing the Rahi to fly as fast as it could toward the wall. They burst forth through the constructed material with a crash, completely announcing their entrance. With style, Lewa dismounted with a flip. The Nui-Rama landed with a crash as Lewa levitated to the organic ground with a small _thud_. He stood tall, wearing his comfortable Great Kanohi Miru once again.

The walls were arranged in a messy yet detectable hexagonal, honeycomb pattern, with occasional entrances leading deeper into the hive. And all around was the loud buzzing sound of the Nui-Rama swarm. Lewa looked left—Nui-Rama. He looked right—more Nui-Rama.

_Well, there is only one thought-thing to do, _he reasoned, unlimbering his axe from his back. _Good thing I've already good-done it. _

Once again he struck with the elements of shock and surprise. Two swipes of his axe while he was in the air de-masked three Nui-Rama at once, and the same two slashes incapacitated another trio behind him as they rushed to the aid of the others. But the swarm quickly caught on, and in this new environment of tightened quarters, Lewa found himself feeling awkward and enclosed, as opposed to his battle in the sky where he felt free to fly and maneuver. He blocked one Rahi with his axe in front of him while another shoved him forward from behind. Looking up, Lewa saw a Nui-Rama from above fly low to the ground, with a dark unidentifiable object in its claws. It screeched angrily at him and began to fly closer.

Lewa looked up just in time to roll awkwardly out of the way of another attack. Turning back to the odd Nui-Rama of the bunch, the one that was hovering, he was able to see that what it held was a Kanohi Mask. Beyond that, it had the same shape as his Kanohi Miru. _Odd-strange, _he thought. Then his eyes widened when he noticed its washed-out green-grey color, pickets of purple and red, and mud stains on the surface. _I mean 'dark-bad'! That mask is infected! _

Lewa began to panic. He tried harder and harder to fight off the Rahi, but they swarmed around him, too many to target. He was about to call a windstorm to rock the whole nest when one knocked his axe from his hand, disrupting his elemental command. His next idea was to try to create a wind current to fly out, even without his Toa tool. But before that could be done, a Rama's claw from the side swiped his Kanohi Miru from his face.

Maskless and suddenly fatigued, Lewa fell to his hands and knees, then to the ground, completely. "No," he moaned in vain, struggling. Weakly, he rolled onto his back to face upward, just in time to see the hovering Nui-Rama blot out the last of the sunset's light and place the infected Kanohi on his face.


	5. Chapter 5

Takua exited Whenua's hut and went to another tunnel that was still under construction. The miners were working relentlessly on it though, making visible progress even as Takua came close. He saw one Matoran off from the others, working by torchlight. "Hello, worker," Takua called as he walked over. "Is your work going well?"

The Matoran stopped his work and looked up at Takua. "Yes. Wait, are you Takua?"

Takua nodded. "How'd you know?"

"Onepu told me about you—your armor and mask color and your bag. He said you found a way to the lightstones," Taipu said. "Thank you for doing that! We can dig much more quickly now. Well, my friends can. I'm just happy to help. I am sure the highway will reach Le-Koro soon!" Then he added, "If the Rahi attack the dig site, stay near me. I'll protect you."

"Is this the Le-Koro highway, then?" Takua asked, looking at the large tunnel. "I heard Whenua discussing it a couple times."

Taipu nodded and smiled. "Yes, we're building the main highway to Le-Koro. Whenua says I'm the strongest of the Onu-Matoran, so I am leading the way."

"And what do you think of Le-Koro?" Takua asked him.

"Well, it is a village in the south, where the Le-Matoran live in trees," Taipu said. "I've never been there. Onepu says there are tall, pretty forests, and huts built in the sky! Onepu also says the Le-Matoran are great musicians, too, and play music all day long from the treetops. Others have said they're very good dancers."

"What do you think of Onepu?" Takua wondered. "I met him, and he seems likable."

Taipu laughed, his torch shaking in the darkness. "Onepu is my best friend in all of Onu-Koro! He is very smart and knows a lot about Ussal Crab racing and fighting Rahi. He's supposed to be digging, too, but he showed me how I can do both of our digging at the same time. That's how smart he is! That's OK, I don't mind. He has other work to do with Ussal Crabs."

With that, Taipu took another swing at the rock in front of the Onu-Matoran digging excursion. When he lifted his spike, though, light shone through where there was once rock. "We did it! We've made it through!" Taipu yelled to the other Onu-Matoran. "Come on! Bring the machines and tools here, concentrate on the center and expand outward. Takua, just stand clear, if you wouldn't mind."

Takua stepped back, and before long, the opening made by Taipu had widened enough to fit the whole group through. The Onu-Matoran set their tools down and marveled at their work. Some looked back the way they had come, admiring the large dark tunnel leading under Mount Ihu back to Onu-Koro. Others, experiencing a nice change from the enclosing underground, looked in wonder at the mild jungle landscape.

Taipu was one of the latter. "Onepu was right," he said in an amazed tone. "It's so beautiful here. Whenua said I should make camp when we break through, but I want to go to see Le-Koro and the tree-Matoran…" He looked through the treetops until he saw a dense area with what looked to be dwellings in the branches. "Le-Koro is right through those trees, I bet! Won't you take me with you to see it?"

Takua smiled. "Sure, I don't see why not—you were willing to defend me in the cave. Are your workers alright without you?"

"Yes, they'll set up camp here," Taipu assured.

"Then let's go!" Takua invited.

"Thank you!" Taipu said, practically hopping up and down. "I bet it's more beautiful even than the Great Mine! Let's go!" Taipu was so excited he kept hopping as he ran ahead of Takua into the first area of trees. Occasionally he stopped and looked around as he waited for Takua to catch up behind him. During one such stop, he scanned in wonder, "I wonder where the people of Le-Koro are?"

And then, during another such stop, Taipu motioned excitedly from atop a rock. "It's here! Le-Koro! I've found it! It's beautiful!" he shouted. No sooner had the words escaped his mouth when a large bug-like creature swooped down from the treetops, picked up Taipu, and flew away with him!

Takua rushed ahead to the spot where Taipu was last standing. _Oh no! What have I done!?_ he said to himself. _Perhaps the inhabitants of Le-Koro can help me save Taipu. But where is Le-Koro? All I see are large trees in a swamp._

Taipu claimed to have seen the village right before he was taken, so Takua climbed the rock he had been standing on. Taking a closer look at the base of the tree revealed what appeared to be some sort of elevator, carved out of large pods and attached to long vines. Takua climbed into the nearest pod. A few short minutes of fiddling with the controls and levers made the vessel rise up into the high branches of the tree.

As Takua stepped out of the elevator, he looked around in amazement at the view—an entire village among the treetops was a new sight to behold. Then, worry started to overcome his wonder. "Where are all the inhabitants?" he muttered. _Who will help me save Taipu?_ Takua exited the elevator and began searching the village.

He didn't have to wander very far before he found his first item of interest. His foot knocked into something, making it slightly skid forward on the path. Looking down, he realized it was an abandoned flute outside one of the huts. He picked it up to examine it more closely.

It didn't look too terribly complicated, possessing a mainly cylindrical body with several buttons or holes to press while being played. Inwardly curious to try it, Takua decided to try playing. Surprisingly it was not as difficult as he had expected; his sounds came out clear, though they did not form a recognizable tune.

That turned out to be enough, though.

Before the last note Takua got out of the instrument had even completely died away, the village suddenly sprang to life. Windows popped open on the sides of the treetop huts and green-armored inhabitants peeked out. Other villagers appeared from even higher up in the trees. Eagerly, seeing Takua, they jumped down to greet him, some more skillfully and quickly than others, as one landed hard in a heap before quickly standing back up.

The one who had fallen came to Takua and said, "Forgive us, but our home-village was attacked by Makuta's evil beasts! We feared you were dark-Rahi, but no Rama plays flute like that, so downtree we come and greet!"

"What attack?" Takua stammered. He was having a hard time keeping up with the tree villager's vernacular.

"In last rainfall, Kongu on patrol saw Rama-hive growing topleaf-high, far in dark forest," the Le-Matoran rambled. "Late-knowing Matoran, the Rama were infected by Makuta! One drift ago, cloud-sneaking Nui-Rama flew on Le-Koro to destroy all. Quick-soaring Kahu-riders tree-launch, and great battles fought! Village still stands, but many lost!"

"Um…" Takua blurted. He had only caught bits and pieces rather than complete sentences. "So the Rama were infected by Makuta and attacked the village? What is a Rama?"

"Rama are small buzzers. Small wings. Very fast! Nui-Rama are big buzz-flying Rahi!" he answered. "Hundred-eye, all-seeing, fright and fury! Makuta-madness from infected masks makes them even worse! Wings mash, pincers grab! No chance for Matoran alone, only Toa are bold enough to stand against it, yet cunning Nui-Rama sneak-swoop-smash and fly out of reach!"

Takua was able to catch most of that. _Maybe it's an acquired skill?_ he thought. "I'm Takua. What's your name?" Takua inquired.

"Tamaru of Le-Koro!" he replied with a smile, now. "Highfly Vinesman, deepwood wayfinder! I know who you are—you are the brave wanderer that some speak of! Braver still, for coming to Le-Koro during this time!"

Takua was a little embarrassed that his reputation preceded him, especially since it was fear of the Nui-Rama and Taipu's misfortune that brought him to Le-Koro, not bravery. "Uh, well, yes," he said. "What's a Kahu?"

"Kahu are big birds," Tamaru answered. "Big wings, easy to ride."

"Traveler beware—dark-time comes," interrupted the villager next to Tamaru. "Matau stolen, Lewa gone! The Le-Matoran are preparing for battle-fight!"

"Hello, who are you?" Takua asked.

"Kongu, fastest Leaf-Runner!" he replied. "Everquick pilot! Weaver, mapmaker! Le-Koro Matoran!"

"I'm Takua. Nice to meet you. You mentioned that Matau was missing—who is he? Is he another Le-Matoran?" Takua continued.

"Matau the Singer!" Kongu replied, with the continued energy of the tree villagers. "Down talk, up singing! Friend and laughter! In life-dawn years past, was known Matau Kewa Champion!"

Takua just blankly stared in response.

Kongu went on after a second of realization. "Matau, great Turaga of Le-Koro and soul of the forest people! Gone! Gone! Taken by Makuta's Rahi!"

"I'm sorry," Takua said. "Who is Lewa? You said he was gone, too?"

"Lewa, great Toa of Air!" answered Tamaru. "Hero of Le-Koro! Gone away in quest for the Great Kanohi. If he were here, he would save us, for he has faced greater dangers than this, and survived!"

"Are you here to help in the defense, Takua? Le-Koro needs brave windriders to face the Rama!" Kongu implored him.

Takua wasn't certain—he wanted to help but the more he thought about it, the more he realized it was likely he would only be a liability.

Kongu sensed his hesitation and grinned. "That is alright, friend. Uptree is battle, and downtree is peace. You choose, but either way, if Rama come try to stay under cover."

"The forest can protect you, if you heed it!" Tamaru added.

The two Le-Matoran departed up ladders, climbing to the next level of Le-Koro. Takua stayed for a moment, thinking. Eventually, he changed his mind. Well, I can't save Taipu by heading back down…and it's partially my fault that he was taken. Maybe I can help the villagers and learn at the same time? If I can help them, we might be able to save Taipu together. With that, Takua turned to also "head uptree". As he did, though, he noticed a large dark cloud growing in the distant sky.

Tamaru saw it, too, nudging Kongu on the shoulder and pointing. The cloud was coming from a distant pillar along the Le-Wahi horizon. "Rama-swarm! Scramble!" Kongu shouted.

Takua had reached the top of his ladder by the time the alarm had sounded. In response, large birds appeared from inside a cage-like hut (most likely the Kahu Tamaru had described), Orkham and Taiki and other villagers mounted them, and then they flew off into the sky toward the dark cloud of Nui-Rama Rahi.

Not far from Takua, Kongu mounted a bird and motioned for him to come closer. "Takua! Will you be my second?" he asked. "My Kahu will stay tree-bound without a disk-thrower."

Throwing disks was something any Matoran (even Takua) knew how to do. If he didn't have to drive, perhaps he could still be of significant help. "You got it!" he answered, running forward, mounting the bird, and reaching into a pouch on the saddle to grab a few disks.

"I hope your disk arm is as great as your nerve!" Kongu said. "May the windspirit of Lewa protect us! Let's go!" In front of their Kahu's runway, another airforce member, Vira, held two refractive crystals, glowing brightly in the sun. He held them out to his sides at arm's length; Kongu shifted the reins a certain way, causing its wings to unfold. Vira waved the crystals forward and backward over his head; Kongu spurred on the giant bird, making it dash forward, flap its wings, and launch into the air.

And with that, they were off into the skies, headed for the Nui-Rama swarm.

X X X

Loud chatter among the pilots accompanied the race toward the Rama cloud.

"Stay with your wingman!" one shouted.

"May the wind be ever underneath your wings!" shouted another.

Before much longer, they were there, running into the swarm. Rahi after Rahi came at them, eager to swat them out of the sky. The entire Le-Koro force was urged into evasive maneuvers. Takua launched his defensive disks as fast and as hard as he could, aiming with as much time as he could allow for maximum precision of knocking the Rama down. In part due to Takua's aim, but in greater part due to the sheer number of the Rahi, many went down. Those that didn't either turned to retreat or kept barreling through the Le-Matoran force.

To Takua, Kongu flew like a determined madman. They dove up and swooped down as quickly as two words strung together in a treespeak sentence of gibberish. First, they were up in the clouds, then they dove into the trees. Yet still, the Nui-Rama could be seen ahead of them, no matter which way they were.

The fight indeed managed to gradually push the Rahi back, one at a time. In the center of it all, each Le-Matoran could see it happening from their vantage point. Emboldened by their noticeable successes, Kongu pushed on to take the fight to the Nui-Rama. Adopting aggressive flight patterns, the winged defense force of Le-Koro began driving the swarm of Nui-Rama back the direction it had initially come. Within a few moments of fighting back the giant insect Rahi swarm, Takua saw a pointed structure rising out of the ground. At first, it appeared to be a small mountain, but that notion was quickly abandoned. As the battle and flight progressed closer, both Matoran could tell it was the Nui-Rama hive.

"Ready to _really _go on the offense?" Kongu asked over his shoulder.

"You can't be seri—aaaaaah!" Takua yelled. The rest of his sentence turned into a scream as Kongu sent their Kahu into a power dive, flying straight into the very mouth of the nest! The other Le-Matoran were left outside to occupy the swarm.

Kongu navigated the Kahu through supporting towers of the weird insides of the nest, which was mostly just a giant, hollow, room with vertical supports. More Nui-Rama came from holes in the sides of their home, but Takua managed to get decent disk hits that injured them badly enough to back down or fly away.

One managed to get through, though. It flew at the Kahu from the front right flank, aiming its stinger tail at the Kahu's head. Kongu brought the bird into a left barrel roll to avoid the hit, but instead crashed one of the bird's wings into a support. How Kongu ever managed to think fast enough to land without killing them both was beyond Takua, but the Le-Matoran did it. Reigning the bird to go into another dive and then gently opening its wings to glide to a slow landing saved it the most pain while ensuring maximum safety for its passengers.

_At least, maximum safety two Matoran could have in the heart of a Nui-Rama hive! _Takua thought, trying to look every which way at once. When Takua took his eyes of the walls (the Rama were more concerned with ongoing battle outside the hive than the prisoners), he noticed— "Hey, Kongu, there are other villagers here." He started walking to the other Matoran forms he could see, then quickened his pace. "I think that's Taipu! He's working on something."

"Takua?" Taipu turned. "It _is _you!"

"And it is _you_," Takua returned. "What are you working on?"

"Oh, nothing, I'm afraid," Taipu answered. "Nervous habit. We are all watched closely by those small electric blue bugs," he said, pointing around at specks of light on support beams of the hive. "Lightning bugs, the Le-Matoran called them."

Takua looked away to see a figure approaching with Kongu next to him. Kongu must have described him during the conversation with Taipu.

"It is an honor that you sought-found to save me and aid the Kahu Force, Takua," the taller figure said, "but I am bad-sorry that you had to. But with song we will know hope, and hope brings good-freedom! Keep your voice down, Takua, and sing as you work."

Takua struggled to remember. "Matau?"

"Yes. I am Matau, name-called the Singer by the green-people of Le-Koro," he replied. "I am their wise-Turaga. I have been imprisoned here since leaf-dawn. Lewa has been in conflict with the Rahi, but has had wrong-trouble. The Toa have gone back and forth between solo missions, pairs-groups, group efforts, or working as a whole one-team."

Hearing the name of the Air Toa rose Takua's spirits. "Do you think Lewa will save us?"

Turaga Matau walked with Takua, leaving Kongu behind. "You are not of this team-tribe, so I will speak-tell you of Lewa, but you must heart-swear not to reveal what I am about to say to anyone…I do not wish to dark-pollute their image of our Toa-hero. Lewa _is _here…but he will not save us."

"What? Why?" Takua had always thought of the Toa as the saviors of the island—the beings meant to aid and protect the Matoran. Why would this 'Lewa' character decline?

Matau answered, "The great Toa-hero is the same in body, in strength, and in speed…but his _mind _is gone. He has been attacked by the dark-Makuta and enslaved by evil. His Great Kanohi Mask of Power has been replaced with an infected Kanohi Miru, and the only way to bring him back is to steal-take it off. I know of nothing with the strength to overcome him, a Toa-hero." Matau shook his head sadly.

"You don't think we can fight him…?" Takua wondered. The question seemed to be answered, but Takua felt the need to ask it.

Matau looked at the ground. "He has become more fearsome and horrible than any Rahi. We are left-stuck here. All that is left to us is song, and what small comfort it brings."

Takua turned to leave Matau, but in raising his head from the conversation, he spotted something. It was just a point, high up the walls of the hive, difficult to see with only the light from the lightning bugs. Then he jumped down, and came closer, aided in the descent by his Nui-Rama handler. "Turaga," Takua pointed. "Look!"

Takua, Turaga Matau, even all the Matoran nearby looked—looked and knew instantly from the infected mask of the tall figure that this must be the once-great Toa Lewa. Everything about him seemed dark. Takua spotted, in the claws of the Nui-Rama accompanying him, what must have been Lewa's original Kanohi. The shock among the nearby prisoners at this sight was palpable—it made Takua's shoulders slump.

Suddenly, another tall stranger sprung from the very ground beneath the captives' feet. He landed roughly on the floor of the hive, on all four appendages, his arms ending in large three-spiked claws. Lewa's gaze locked onto the newcomer, and it was instantly clear that Lewa and the stranger were set upon battling, even _destroying _each other. Lewa raised his battle axe, charged, and leapt into a jump swinging attack.

Before the attack hit, the mask of the stranger changed shape from an oval-shaped one to more of a rounded-pentagon with three slashes in each cheek…and then powered up. The mask glowed, and from the glow quickly grew a sphere of energy until its radius reached over an arm's length away from the stranger. Lewa's strike impacted the shield, but his axe did not penetrate it. In fact, Lewa was thrown backward into the wall of the hive so hard, it knocked the infected mask askew.

The jolt had an obvious effect. "What…what's happening to me?" he asked himself. "My body…not my own…" he mumbled. "My mind…get out of MY MIND!" he screamed. Then, with shakes in his arms he reset the mask on his face. The shakes stopped, and the darkness returned to him.

The battle began again, this time with the fight moving quickly all over the interior of the hive. Though the shield provided a good defense, Lewa's onslaught of chained attacks began to wear down the will of the user. Eventually, before the shield could be remade, Lewa scored a frightening blow with the flat of his axe, knocking the stranger back against the wall, winding him. As one of the electric blue bugs crawled out to survey the damage and begin repairs, the stranger's mask changed once again.

The mask glowed also, signifying its use like the previous one, but this one's glow did not create a shield. The glow remained small and constant, but small bits and pieces of debris around the figure were also beginning to glow (including the lightning bug—due to the mask's energies, not its own). Every piece that had begun to glow then floated up into the air and around the user.

Lewa was as confused as the Matoran audience, but before he realized what was happening, the cloud came hurtling toward him, bug and all. Lewa tried to react to the incoming projectiles by parrying or slicing with his axe, but there were too many, and the lightning bug (the last object in the cloud to reach him) struck a hard blow to the head, knocking the infected mask off his face and onto the floor.

"His mask! Get his mask!" exclaimed Matau, waving his staff in the air.

The stranger looked to the Nui-Rama hovering nearby. He raised his hand and with a low rumble, a piece of dirt came from the floor of the hive and flew into its fast-moving wings, coating them and making them heavier. The Rahi lost control of its flight and Lewa's original Kanohi, which started to fall…then stopped as a small glow overtook it, too. The stranger's mask had been activated again and this time, the mask floated gently down to the (confused) Lewa, who put it back on.

Instantly, a change came over the Toa of Air. He leaped high into the air and onto the back of the Nui-Rama. Then his mask changed shape as well, as he called upon another Kanohi power. The mask glowed, and a small glow outlined the body of the Rahi, but was most prominent in lighting its eyes. Every area influenced by the mask's glow ceased its struggling. Soon, the glow had the entire creature fully under Lewa's control.

"Turaga," Takua said, now that the battle was over, "what _was _all that?"

Matau smiled and leaned comfortably on his staff. "Toa Onua, of the Earth, came to our help-aid," he said. "What we saw-witnessed was his elemental Earth power, as well as the fruits of his mask-hunting. The first was a Kanohi Hau, a Great Mask of Shielding. The second was a Noble, weaker version of a Kanohi Matatu, the Mask of Telekinesis. Each Toa-hero must find five Great Kanohi Masks and six Noble Kanohi Masks. When Lewa was freed from the bad-dark infected Kanohi, he was no longer under Makuta's will-power. Then, he used a Noble Kanohi Komau he had found in his search-travels, a weakened Mask of Mind Control."

Takua looked back at Lewa victoriously riding the Rahi, and Onua, who was helping to collect the prisoners together. Outside, the Le-Koro wing force had fought off the other Rahi, at least temporarily. Single-manned Kahu came in and started picking up passengers to take them back to the village. Takua, enjoying a sigh of relief, watched Taipu climb on with a rider and fly out. Off to the side, he also noticed that Kongu had nursed their Kahu back to adequate flying conditions.

"Ready to wing-fly out of here?" Kongu asked, mounting the bird.

"Absolutely!" Takua answered, joining him.

Using disks to throw behind them as they flew, and elemental powers with help from Lewa and Onua, everyone—Turaga, Toa, Matoran (and Kahu birds) made it back safely to Le-Koro.

"I hope you like festivities," Kongu said as they flew across the wind.

"Why?" Takua asked.

"Because there is going to be a big happy-cheer at the defeat of the Rahi and the return of our village-brothers," Kongu replied, "and especially Matau…the Singer!"


	6. Chapter 6

Kongu's description of the "happy-cheer" was an understatement. The Le-Matoran celebrated with noise-makers, instruments, some songs, but mostly dance. Even tamed Rahi like the Kahu birds, who did not understand the meaning of the celebration or words, caught meaning of the tone and were flying excitedly.

Takua himself celebrated with his new Le-Matoran friends. Not long after their return, however, one of his friends had to leave. "Takua, thanks for all you've done, but I'd better had back to my own village now," Taipu said, shaking his hand.

"It was my pleasure," Takua replied. "Good work on the tunnel highway. And I'm glad you got to see Le-Koro and witness some tree and air action."

The two Matoran laughed for a moment, before Taipu departed and descended through the trees to return to Onu-Wahi. Takua waved as he went, then joined for more celebration with the tree villagers. Neither food nor drink was spared at the festivity, and Takua indulged in both, enjoying mixed fruits and juices of the jungle. Soon, there was another familiar face at his shoulder.

"Takua, it is good to see you again after all our adventures!" Matau said to him. "The return to our treebright Le-Koro was so long hoped for in the dark-wet Rama Hive! And with Lewa back and no longer dark-infected, he will be our hero-guard again! Here, take this flute song; it fits well with the flute you found. Whenever you need help from sun-soaring Le-Koro, play the song and you will have it!"

"Thank you, Turaga. It's good to hear Le-Koro is safe," Takua said, with the usual bow to the elder. He took the carving with the song engraved and stored it among his other inventory. "Your villagers sure do know how to throw a party."

Matau laughed proudly. "Yes, the Le-Matoran do pride themselves in their out-spirit."

Takua laughed back, looking again at a dance circle that had begun on a lower tree level. He simply shook his head at the moves pulled off by the green-armored Matoran. "Well, as much as I enjoy a good party, and the company of the Le-Matoran, I feel that perhaps I should keep moving on. Goodbye, Matau."

"Many thanks to you for helping us to high-branch home!" he said as Takua sought the lift back to the ground. "Goodbye, Takua, and farewell!"

X X X

With no other pleas for help, immediate objectives to accomplish, or frankly any idea of where to go, Takua decided it was time to go back to his own home village: Ta-Koro. There was already an above-ground highway for the trip from Le-Wahi northeast to the region of Ta-Wahi. Takua took it, looking around him as the jungle sights gradually became less dense as he approached the foot of Mangai Volcano, the largest landmark on Mata Nui. Soon, Takua was in the hot igneous land of the volcano, and then it was only a short while longer when the village of Ta-Koro came into view.

Like before, Takua first came to the guards outside the outer gate. He passed them, but before crossing the bridge to the inner gate and the heart of the village of Ta-Koro, he heard another groan, followed by something slamming, from Jala's guard hut. Takua cautiously walked in, not wanting to be the victim of an ongoing tantrum.

His fears were a little exaggerated. The only evidence of destruction was Jala bent over his table with both fists planted firmly on it. He looked up at Takua's entry. He sighed, his hands relaxed, and he began straightening his maps. "Have you heard?" he asked. "We're falling back. My scouts delivered reports from the other villages today…the news wasn't good. The Rahi are closing on all sides, and their numbers are too great to count. After the fall of the Tren Krom Break I completely lost contact with the North March."

"What are the Tren Krom Break and North March?" Takua asked, glancing at the table, looking for a relevant map.

Jala pointed at the map, his finger following a line from the volcano all the way to the ocean. "The Tren Krom Break is a prominent lava river supplied by the Mangai Volcano; it follows the border of Ta-Wahi and Ko-Wahi." His finger moved farther up and left on the map. "The North March is an icy pass that also follows the general border between Ta-Wahi and Ko-Wahi. It was one of our major defenses from that direction. But we will not go quietly into the shadow of Makuta, as long as the light and heat of the great Mangai Volcano still blazes! I know of one maneuver that none will expect. I only hope Vakama and the others will listen."

"You mentioned news from the other villages," Takua said. "Are things that bad? I know Ga-Koro was saved from a Tarakava, Onu-Koro's infrastructure is rebuilt, and I just came from Le-Koro."

"You, at least, have seen some small victories, but Makuta's evil infection is still spreading throughout Mata Nui," Jala said. "Po-Koro is still healing its sick from the Comet Epidemic and the other villages are holding on while they can against the Rahi. In Onu-Koro, Onepu is so hard pressed; he can't spare me even one Ussalry regiment! Not a single regiment!"

"And what's your maneuver?" Takua queried.

"It is imperative that the villages build fortifications and prepare for a final defense," Jala implored, gesturing around the map at the various villages. "I expect many Rahi to threaten the villages very soon. They, or rather, the Makuta in them, is getting ready. Vakama says the Toa will soon be gathering at the Kini-Nui, at the center of the island. We must try to protect them while they fulfill their mission. The Turaga must each send heroes to help the Toa at Kini-Nui. The Makuta will not expect it."

"So, what are you going to do about the border to Ko-Wahi?" Takua asked now. "Can you leave it undefended while you send men to the Toa?"

"I must know what happened to North March," Jala brooded. "I have no warriors to spare, and you have proven resourceful and true. So I'll ask you as I did before, will you join the Guard—at least temporarily?"

This time, with the situation more dire than before, and Takua's mental and physical strength more adapted from his travels, he only had to think for a second. "I _will _join the Guard," he replied. "What do you need me to do?"

Jala smiled and shook Takua's hand. "It warms me that you have chosen to accept our trust. Vakama will be pleased. The Ko-Matoran have been seen little during the past months, and heard from even less. But it may not be that they are troubled; silence has always been their way. The Guard has a small outpost there, only reachable by cable car. They watch against Rahi from the frozen heights. They aid to keep watch on the Ko-Matoran."

Jala turned around to a desk at the far wall. He scribbled something onto a small, handheld piece of stone, then returned to Takua. "I fear the servants of Makuta have taken all my scouts. Here," he said, offering the token, "take this ensign and show it to the sentry at the cable car. He will let you through. Then, make contact with our scouts in North March and get a report for me on the Makuta's efforts in the mountains."

Takua took the item and stowed it. "Alright, Jala. I'll get back to you then."

"Thank you," he answered. "Good luck, Takua."

After leaving Jala's hut, Takua made for the perimeter of Ta-Koro, where he ascended a long staircase along the outer wall to meet the sentry guard posted there. When Takua was close enough, the guard widened his stance and leaned his spear in front of him.

"Sorry, but only guards may pass," he said. "We can't let common villagers enter an area of combat and danger right now."

Takua found his ensign from Jala and showed it to the guard. "I am a recent addition to the Ta-Koro Guard. Jala has sent me with special instructions to check this place out and return to him."

"Ah, I see. You may pass," he said, resuming his bored stance from before.

Takua did so, noting that Ta-Koro guards were not exactly known for their stimulating conversation. He climbed onto the cable car and it whisked up the mountain. The island regions provided quite a contrast in temperature as it brought Takua from the fiery lava of Ta-Wahi to the snowy clime of Ko-Wahi.

At the top of the cable car run was a small hut, apparently an abandoned outpost. A quick search revealed a heatstone—a mineral that naturally provided a substantial amount of heat and a little light. Takua felt a little foolish for not having brought one himself from Ta-Koro. Seeing that the place was abandoned anyway, Takua went ahead and took it.

Outside the hut, there were footprints in the snow leading up the mountain. With no other directions to Ko-Koro and the only other path leading back to the cable car, Takua followed them through the drifts. He was rounding another bend in the mountainous geography when he came upon an odd discovery. There was a block of ice close to one of the walls, under an overhang of snow. Takua came closer to examine the ice and realized that to his shock, _There's someone frozen in there! Perhaps I am not too late. _He took out the heatstone to see if he could melt it, and thankfully, that was enough; the ice melted and the villager—a Ko-Matoran—needed little heat to revive him to full capacity.

At least, things looked good at _first. _"Oh, what…?" he said groggily. Then he opened his eyes quickly and at the sight of Takua, became frightened and ran away.

_That was odd, _Takua thought, already starting to follow him. _Why would he be afraid of me? _

After some minutes of pursuit, Takua found him again, seemingly trapped at the base of a large snow drift. Just as he was about to call out to talk or explain, a door in the drift opened, revealing an icy tunnel. The Matoran disappeared down the tunnel, causing Takua to give chase again.

Once safely within the confines of the tunnel and out of the biting cold, Takua managed to catch up with the Matoran, who had ceased his flight. Takua slowly approached, watching the Matoran examine himself in the reflection of ice. "Hello?" he said quietly, for he did not want to startle the villager again. "My name is Takua. Turaga Nokama recently christened me as the Chronicler of the Matoran—a scribe of their history. Who are you?"

"Kopeke," he answered.

"I didn't mean to startle you earlier," Takua began.

"My apologies as well," Kopeke said. "I was having trouble regaining my vision through the snow after you released me from the ice. I thought you were a Rahi. Once I gained enough ground and got my bearings, it was then important to escape the cold once again."

Takua came closer, to a comfortable conversational distance. "I'm not a Rahi, I'm a friend. Jala, the Captain of the Ta-Koro Guard, has recruited me, and I am on a mission to report on this area. Do you know what happened to the Ta-Matoran forces in this area?"

"The Makuta led them into the ice, and I fear they will not return," Kopeke answered. "Had you not come and saved me, I would be facing a similar fate."

Takua looked around. "Where are we? What is this place?"

"I do not wish to be questioned," said Kopeke. "If you seek answers, do so in Ko-Koro. There you will find meditation and contemplation. It is Turaga Nuju's way to think on all things, and from his Sanctum on Ihu's peak one can see far ahead and far behind."

Kopeke turned away, beginning to pace as he thought about his village. "In Ko-Koro, we respect knowledge above all things. You must have great knowledge even to step foot within it. You are the one who seeks to chronicle this era, and so you will doubtless travel the icy drifts in search of answers. But true sight reveals many things, and knowing the future can be dangerous. That is your choice."

"You seem to have great respect for Turaga Nuju," Takua commented.

Kopeke looked over his shoulder. "Wisdom is ever the burden of the Turaga. More than we know."

Kopeke returned to looking at the icy reflections on the wall. It was only then that Takua discovered that he was not looking at himself, but rather, from his vantage point he could see both the cable car and the hut. It was more likely he was a sentry, guarding the tunnel entrance—a cooperative of the Ta-Koro guard.

Takua had nothing else to say to him, and Kopeke did not seem the talkative type; he was then free to continue on to Ko-Koro. He left Kopeke and walked farther down the tunnel. At the end of it, he came to a gate. With a heavy push, one of the doors swung open with a creak, evidencing the rust and wear on the metal from the surrounding cold of the mountain. Beyond the gate, the steps up to Ko-Koro were found, allowing him to continue his journey.

X X X

The path to the ice village was precarious, with all of the ice and snow and blowing wind. Takua at least took comfort in finding he was not alone out there, however; two guards stood duty outside the main entrance.

They shook off their drifts of snow as they greeted him. "Hello, traveler," said the guard on the left. "I am Pakastaa, and this is my guard partner, Talvi. We are members of the Sanctum Guard. Welcome to Ko-Koro."

"Thank you," Takua said, his teeth chattering as he did so. "My name is Takua and I am a member of the Ta-Koro Guard. I'm here to check on the Guard's progress against the Rahi. I found a Ko-Matoran who told me to go to the Sanctum and seek Turaga Nuju. Where can I find it, and him?"

Talvi, the guard on the right, answered, "Directly through this gate you will find the Sanctum, the most significant of landmarks in Ko-Koro. The Turaga is usually around the building somewhere, but some Matoran inside might have a better idea."

Takua thanked the the two guards, shook the snow off himself that had managed to settle even in the small conversation's time, and progressed. As Talvi had said, he entered the main building of Ko-Koro—the Sanctum. In the center of the room was a large pot over a fire, warming the room just a level above the temperature outside, and possibly some kind of substance contained in the pot. The sculpting of a large mask overlooked the well-lit room, with other small torches providing the rest of the light and heat. Being the main area of Ko-Koro, there were several Ko-Matoran wandering about, seemingly studying the writing on the walls.

"Excuse me," Takua said politely to a passing ice villager. "My name is Takua. I was wondering if perhaps you might be able to help me."

"Hello, Takua. My name is Jaa," he replied. "What can I help you with?"

"I'm looking to speak with Turaga Nuju. This entire building is the Sanctum, isn't it?"

"You are right—welcome," Jaa extended. "You may join us in our meditation if you wish; Nuju honors all wise Matoran that they may join in the Seeking. If you wish to speak with our Turaga, though, you will have to wait for Matoro to return. He is the only one that can translate Nuju's speech."

_OK, more on that in a moment… _Takua thought. "You mentioned the Matoran here meditating and studying for the Seeking," he said, instead. "What is that?"

"Written upon these walls and tablets are the great Prophecies. Together, they make the Wall of Prophecy," he answered. "To understand even a fraction of what they speak takes years of meditation and patient decryption."

Takua didn't have years, in fact he was very pressed on time; he pushed on a bit more. "Tell me about Nuju. Why can't I talk to him myself?"

"Nuju is the Turaga of Ko-Koro," Jaa said. "His meditations reach into the past and into the future, and he has deciphered much of the ancient Prophecies. He does a lot that is critical to the future of Mata Nui, and the Noble Kanohi Matatu gives him the power to move objects by sheer force of will."

"Yes, I've seen a Noble Matatu in battle," Takua replied, moving the conversation along.

"Very good. You can't talk to Nuju, though, because he doesn't speak like you or I," Jaa continued. "He uses a different language entirely, though no one knows what it is, and only Matoro can translate it."

"Then where is Matoro?" Takua asked.

"Matoro is alone, hunting Rahi in the Drifts," Jaa answered. "You may seek him if you wish, but be warned: Ihu is not merciful, even to the Ko-Matoran, who are built to withstand colder environments." Jaa motioned to a tunnel in the wall next to where the two Matoran were talking. "Take this passageway to enter into the Drifts. Matoro often leaves behind signal flags so that he does not get lost. If you follow them you may come to him."

"Thank you, Jaa." Takua nodded and began trekking once more down an icy tunnel. Arriving at the other end, he discovered one of Matoro's signal flags and a pair of footprints nearby, as Jaa had predicted. As the snow's fall began to increase, Takua set out to follow the footprints.

X X X

Soon, Takua was on his way up the slippery, snow-covered slopes of Mount Ihu, following Matoro's trail of red signal flags. Due to their red hue against the sheen of white background, their path was not too difficult for him to follow at first, despite the wind and cold.

Then suddenly, it struck—a blinding whiteout of a blizzard! Takua could hardly see his own hand in front of his face, and the snow quickly gathered on his head and shoulders if he remained stationary for too long. The higher in the mountains he went along the flag's path, the harsher the winds became. It was too tempting to turn back. _No! _he assured himself. _I need to find Matoro soon; I need to speak with Turaga Nuju. _Reluctantly, he pressed on, with hopes of finding Matoro.

With just a few more minutes of traveling, the cold had taken a tremendous toll. Takua was so cold his motor functions were beginning to slow in processing speed, and his organic muscles were beginning to tire from trudging through the thick drifts of snow.

He passed a large rock. _Have I seen that rock before? _he wondered hollowly. _Am I going in circles? _Through the horizontal lines of flying snow, he caught glimpse of another flag. _There! Up ahead! If I can just reach it… _

Takua was thrilled to finally reach another bright red signal flag flapping vigorously in the wind. But the happiness was short lived. From there… _Where is Matoro? Which way do I go? _Scanning a full circle, Takua searched for another flag. He found none. He looked around a second time, and this time, through the wind and snow, he caught sight of one.

At first, his spirits lifted—from that point the signal flags seemed to be getting easier to follow. He moved from one to another, each time thinking that it would be the one that brought him to Matoro…each time he was disappointed.

And then…the flags were gone again. Takua could only see the flag he had previously come from, and even that, too, was lost from sight. There was nothing to see but snow, snow, and more snow. He was so very exhausted…so very tired…so cold…so sleepy. As he closed his eyes, his mind seemed to be less and less aware of the cold. _That's better, _he thought weakly. _Nice and warm…I'll just take a small rest. _

Then he fell face first into the snow, unconscious.


	7. Chapter 7

Onua squinted with uncertainty toward the treetops. The sun was bright here in the rainforest of Le-Wahi, and his eyes ached with the effort of trying to see through its brightness. "Is that it?" he asked Gali and Tahu, who stood beside him.

Gali nodded. "It is a Kanohi Hau—a Great Mask of Shielding," she confirmed. "It seems to be stuck in the knot of this tree, up near the top. Too bad brother Lewa isn't here to play monkey for us."

"Indeed. Sister, you hold a Mask of Levitation—do you think you can get it?"

"I can try." Gali started upward. "I haven't yet had much time to practice. But if I move slowly…"

Tahu let out a noisy, impatient sigh. "Look, we don't have all day for this," he said abruptly. "Why not try an easier way?" With that, he pointed his sword at the tree.

"Tahu, no!" Gali cried.

But even as the words left her mouth, flames shot out of Tahu's sword and enveloped the tree's trunk. Within seconds the fire had consumed the entire tree, burning it into a black skeleton sprouting from a pile of cinders. Only a mask remained untouched by the flame, falling intact to the ground with a puff of embers.

Onua frowned as he picked up the mask. _He'll set the whole forest ablaze! _he thought, as running flames licked at several neighboring trees. Beside him, he saw Gali gesture with her arms. A moment later, a drenching rain shower poured down over them, dousing all the fires.

"Thanks," Tahu said, wiping rainwater from his mask. "I didn't think the fire would spread."

"Right." Gali's voice sounded almost cold enough to have come from Kopaka. "I suppose you also didn't think about the birds who called that tree home, or the plants and animals that relied on it for shade. In other words, you didn't _think_."

With that, she turned and stalked off into the jungle.

X X X

As one might expect, everything was dark with Takua's eyes closed. He was grateful to be rid of the omnipresent white. He was still thinking and feeling, even in his subconscious state—he was dreaming. Words were floating through his head, racing away from him. And then a symbol floated before him, it grew larger as it came closer to his vision…closer, closer, closer…

Before he could figure out what the symbol meant, it disappeared and he heard someone speaking to him. "Energy…" he offered. He grabbed Takua's hands and brought them to a hot, ceramic bowl.

Takua's hands felt for and took the object, its shifting weight identifying that it contained some kind of liquid, though his eyes still refused to fully cooperate. They were open, but they weren't working all that well at the moment. He brought the bowl to his lips and drank some of the liquid, a soup, nice and hot. He made it through most but not all of the dish before he felt fatigued once again.

"Rest…" his host said, and Takua closed his eyes again.

X X X

When Takua awoke again, he could see he was in a cave. There was a small fire not far from where he lay; and looking over his other shoulder, he saw Matoro nearby, recognized by the signal flag he was carrying. Takua felt a surge of emotional energy due to finding his quarry, but before he could say anything to begin a conversation, Matoro was alerted to something outside. Takua reasoned that it was likely that he managed to trap a small Rahi. Matoro left the cave, while Takua had strength enough only to watch.

As it turned out, "small" was the exact antonym of what had tripped Matoro's wire. A large cat-like Rahi with huge jaws and a ferocious head stood nearby, eyeing the cave. Matoro was caught off-guard by the sudden sight, but he raised the pickaxe he carried to protect himself.

It was a futile attempt. The Rahi easily swatted him into a snowbank, where he lay stunned, his pickaxe out of arm's reach. Takua felt helpless as the Rahi moved in for the kill; he tried to get his body to move, but his limbs would not listen.

His movement was not even necessary. The Rahi's attack was stopped by the sudden appearance of a tall stranger in silver and light-grey armor. He was armed with a sword and shield, and he boldly, bodily blocked the Rahi's path. The Rahi, as surprised as both Matoran, struck out in anger at the stranger, but too late; the agile figure evaded the attack by jumping out of range.

As he turned to face the beast again, the stranger's mask, originally with two holes in the brow and a telescope on one side, changed to a shape with a larger hole in the brow and a long extension down the middle. Shortly after calling upon this mask's presence and energies…he disappeared from view. The Rahi looked all around, confused by the disappearance. Soon, the sound of sword striking Rahi armor echoed around the hills and outside of the cave, followed immediately by a growl from the Rahi.

Though the power of invisibility was an edge at first, the warrior's footprints in the snow gave him away; he tried to circle around for another attack to the rear, but the Rahi lashed out and caught him this time. The great paw of the Rahi didn't just smack him away, but forced him into its jaws. The Rahi cat shook him wildly in its mouth and threw him far into a drift, subsequently advancing on him again.

The stranger reappeared from the drift. His mask changed again, this time to one with a rounded top and visible circuitry running across its exterior. This time, its activation created two identical images of the stranger, only a few paces away from where the original stood, but far enough to make the impression of circling the beast.

Now even more befuddled, the Rahi looked from one foe to the next, unsure of which to target. It's uncertainty was so great, it never made a decision even as the three warriors backed it up to an overhang of a cliff. The three warriors all spun their swords simultaneously. Apparently surrounded and with no chance of escape, the Rahi finally chose a target and struck.

Unfortunately for the Rahi, it chose incorrectly. The figure it attacked was but a chimera that merely shimmered and disappeared after the assault. The remaining two strangers thrust their swords into the ground, breaking off the portion of the overhang the Rahi had landed on. Its roar echoed mournfully as it plummeted downward into the swirling mists of snow.

Matoro, having regained his feet, walked next to the strangers and gazed out over the cliff. Then the other doppelganger disappeared as well, for the warrior's mask returned to its original, telescoped appearance.

"Are you alright?" the tall figure asked.

"Yes, thanks to you," Matoro answered.

"I will escort you and your guest back to Ko-Koro," the stranger said. "Then I must be off to regroup with the Toa once more. I was fortunate to have found you during my return to Ko-Wahi. I have just obtained all of my Noble Masks, and I have returned to give them to Turaga Nuju, that he may also have more resources in the village. But the others will press to regroup without delay—our quest for the Kanohi is nearing its end."

Matoro put away his pickaxe and nodded respectfully. "Of course, Toa."

X X X

Some time later, they were safely back in the Sanctum. The ice warrior, now confirmed as Toa Kopaka, ensured the Matoran's safety to the village and their nursing back to health upon arrival. Kopaka then left, his destination unspoken. Matoro and Takua approached the Turaga together, with Matoro now standing by the Turaga's side.

"I will translate Nuju's words for you, traveler," said Matoro. "He has been watching you for a long time. Your role in Mata Nui's destiny is more important than you know. Mata Nui sleeps, but you, like the Toa, shall be an agent of his awakening."

Nuju said something in his own language. Matoro translated: "Nuju knows that you wish to ask questions of him and he will answer them. When you are done, he wishes to ask a question of you. What questions do you wish to ask Nuju, Takua?"

"Do you know where the other Toa are right now?" Takua asked. "They have been absent in helping the Ta-Koro guard, and the Captain is losing ground because of it."

Nuju erupted in a string of beeps, clicks, and whistles. Matoro was listening intently and nodded his head. "He does not know where they are, but he knows what they will do. The Toa will unite and find more power in the joining," Matoro translated. "They shall merge their skills, their knowledge, their wills to become incarnates of Wisdom and Valor, named in prophecy Wairuha and Akamai. In these forms, they are the Toa Kaita. The Toa Kaita will, at last, confront the Makuta. During their absence, the people of Mata Nui must work together to protect their homes and all that they know. They will need great courage, for the Toa will not be here to protect them."

"What will happen to the island?" Takua asked.

There were more clicks and whistles, and then Matoro continued. "Nuju says that you must understand this: that in creation, there is destruction. In destruction, there is rebirth. There is no such thing as void; all things are in flux. If the Toa triumph, Mata Nui will know great joy…and great change. The darkness will be dispelled, but we will have to guard our island well to ensure no other evil rises to take its place."

Takua contemplated this for a while. When the silence became awkward, he reluctantly asked, "What is Nuju's question for me?"

"Will you accept the role of guiding the Matoran?" Matoro translated after Nuju's flurry of sounds. "First you need to remember everything from your travels. With the Toa Kaita beneath the earth, the Matoran must fortify their villages and brace for a great battle. You must also create an Alliance, a group assembled from whomever the Turaga can spare, to help the Toa on their final quest. You have been offered to create this Alliance, and lead them. Do you accept?"

Takua thought back to everything he had learned and done, all the people he had met…he didn't feel ready for this, but he was needed all the same. He wasn't a warrior by nature, but perhaps he could help by being something else—himself. "I accept," he said.

Nuju spoke in his language again. Matoro translated, "Nuju wants to know, to what place shall you lead the Alliance?"

This was as unanticipated to Takua as the prospect of even creating an Alliance. He considered all the places he had been on the island. The answer, as it happened, was surprisingly simple. "I will gather the Alliance where the Toa are," Takua answered. "Jala said that Vakama mentioned them gathering at Kini-Nui, but I don't remember it all. I'm going to confirm that first. Whatever happens, we'll protect the Toa from the Rahi here on the island."

Nuju nodded his head in the affirmative. "So be it," said Matoro. "Nuju believes that you are the one who can accomplish this task. Take this message to all the Turaga of the villages, and they can begin their fateful preparations. Nuju believes in you, Takua. Go in the Spirit of Mata Nui." Nuju scribed a message and handed it to Takua for his journey.

As much as Takua welcomed Nuju's beeps, clicks, and whistles of trust in him, he had to admit to himself that he was not as confident. Still, he took the message and set out to fulfill the task. Bidding Matoro and Nuju farewell, Takua departed, exiting the Sanctum and leaving through the front gate of Ko-Koro. He nodded a goodbye to the guards Talvi and Pakastaa as he passed them.

Once clear of the village, Takua took out the flute he had acquired in Le-Koro. _If I am to travel to all the Turaga, I had better do so quickly, _he told himself. _Here's hoping Matau was right about that song. _He played the flute song he had studied and memorized back in Le-Koro, and looked on to the skies—the long white skies. Among the white backdrop, Takua saw a blip coming toward him from the jungle area of Le-Wahi. Soon, as promised, a Kahu bird appeared, tamed and ready to fly Takua wherever he drove.

_It can't be harder than riding second, right? _Takua thought, as he mounted the eagle-like bird. _Now just to figure out where to go first. _That question was answered quickly, with the realization that he still had to report the status of the Ta-Koro guard in Ko-Wahi back to the Captain, Jala.

With that in mind, Takua ordered loudly to the trained bird, "Ta-Koro!" With a _whoosh _it took off and glided toward Ta-Wahi. There, Takua could share his bad news with the Captain, and then consult with Turaga Vakama.

On the way, he thought hard about Nuju's prophecy. The Matoran had long been struggling against the Rahi, before the Toa came. Now, the Toa were here, and Makuta was massing an all-out attack and the villages had to be warned. The Toa, in all their power would be on the front lines, challenging Makuta himself, while the villages above fought his armies. And Takua's group would be tasked with protecting the Toa underground from those encroaching armies.

The stakes had been raised—this was no longer a collection of separate battles.

This was war.

_To be continued in "Bionicle - Phase 01: Advent - Part IV: Kini-Nui and Mangaia"..._

_(The Challenge of the Rahi was compiled from the video game Mata Nui Online Game; Graphic Novel 1: Rise of the Toa Nuva, containing Comic 3: Triumph of the Toa; the book Chronicles 1: Tale of the Toa; McDonald's Comics 1-2: Challenge of the Rahi, and Tale of the Toa; and the fan-made animation Lewa and the Rama by PeriAnimatesThings)_


End file.
